Entwined
by BunnyDr3ams
Summary: 5 year old Kaori was recently hit by the sudden death of her parents. Chiyo, in hopes of finding Sasori a friend after the death of his own parents, adopts Kaori into her family. Kaori gets entwined in Sasori's life, and realizes that she found a friend
1. Meant To Be?

Chapter One: Meant to be? 

This is my first story, so go easy on me (as in, don't kill me if it's bad).

Cyndi: Sasori, since you are one of the main characters, please say the disclaimer.

Tobi: But Tobi is a good boy, he knows it by heart!!

Sasori: Fine Tobi, but I get to go next chapter.

Cyndi: Ok, Tobi go ahead centers stage light on Tobi.

Tobi: **Cyndi does not own Naruto, but she does own the story plot. **She wishes she could own Naruto, especially Sasori.

Cyndi: Ok, first chapter, enjoy!

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

_Kaori Sunai is a lonely child who lives in the Hidden Leaf Village. She wasn't always this lonely though. Her parents used to always spend time with her. They were with her all the time, __no matter what__. However, this had not been so lately._

The five year old twirled her red hair. It was long in length, and decorated with a single black ribbon, which complimented it rather nicely. Her parents thought it was adorable how she ended up with red hair, seeing as wither parent had jet black hair.

Kaori looked out the window. She hated waiting, especially waiting for her parents to come home from a mission. It was always the same story.

"Your parents will be back Kaori, they got assigned to another mission. I'm so sorry honey," said her caretaker, who was about seventy years old.

"_Being a five year old is not fun,"_ thought Kaori _," especially if your home alone with a boring lady who doesn't want to play with dolls." _

Kaori continued to look out the window. The moonlight shone through the window, but she wasn't concerned about that. She thought about the safety of her parents. Normally, young children would be running around, being hyper and caffeine-powered when their parents are gone, but she was quite mature for a child.

Kaori stared at the clock. It was 10:00 P.M. She heard her nanny calling from the kitchen. The street lanterns were fading. Just like the hope of seeing her parents again.

"Honey, time for bed. Perhaps your parents will be home tomorrow," whispered the elderly woman as she tucked Kaori into bed. Kaori nodded, forming a hesitant smile on her lips. The caretaker turned off the lights, and slowly shut the door behind her.

"_What if.. They don't come back?" _With that thought still lurking in her mind, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

The Next Morning

Kaori woke up late. She wasn't a morning person, and it was difficult to wake her up before 10:30 in the morning. Kaori brushed her teeth, and washed her face. She paused, and looked outside. The streets were empty, and everyone was dressed in black. _"What is going on?"_ she thought.

Slowly, she walked down the stairs, only to find an ANBU ninja staring down at her face.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Cyndi: Sorry this was a short chapter but I have a surprise for you people in the next chapter.

Next Chapter: Sasori Akasuna 


	2. Sasori no Akasuna

Chapter Two: Sasori Akasuna

(This one is longer)

Cyndi: Second chapter. Sasori, please recite the disclaimer.

Sasori: Darn, I forgot my lines!! What was I supposed to say again?

Cyndi: Damn, it was only one sentence. Hidan, please start it, even though you won't be in the story until much later.

Hidan: **Cyndi does not own ...series of swears...** **Naruto**. But I tell you people, Jaashin owns everything!!

Cyndi: That was insulting, and incredibly normal of you, Hidan. You really have to stop the swearing.

Sasori. Ok, I remember now!! Cyndi does not own Naruto, and Hidan is a potty-mouth.

Cyndi: You added some words, but no problems. Enjoy!

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The ANBU ninja, who had gray hair sticking out of his head, stood still. Kaori didn't like waiting for him to talk (She never likes waiting for anything, even for the water to come out of the faucet).

"Who are you mister, and why are you in my house?" asked Kaori, tapping her little feet. She was beginning to suspect some sort of tragedy.

_Tragedy…is a strong word, _Kaori thought. She was on the verge of hitting the statue-like man.

Surprisingly, the ANBU ninja just picked her up and looked straight into her eyes. His eyes were different, and practically abnormal. Her eyes pierced through his mask, which resembled some cat. One of his eyes were black, and the other one was brown with three strange dots around the pupil. She didn't make out much of the details on his face, but there was some kind of scar that slashed across one of his eyes.

"Please don't stare at me." His voice was polite. " I am here to inform you that your parents have passed away yesterday, shortly after 10:15 P.M. Unfortunately, they were killed by an unknown force, quite possibly the missing-nin they sought to capture. I have just received news that your are staying with Chiyo Akasuna in the Sand Village, who has kindly agreed to take you as her own."

"NO!! I'm not leaving, I'm never leaving this house!! My parents… They're not dead, no, they're not. You liar!!" Kaori ran into her room, and slammed the door in his face. Tears ran down her eyes, she could not stop them even if she tried. This shocked her.

"_What is the meaning of this? These tears.. I've never cried before. What's happening to me? And who is Chiyo Akasuna? I guess I have no choice but to pack my belongings and see what fate has in store for me." _Kaori thought.

She was intelligent, that would explain why she was left out in many activities at school. Oh, how she hated the alphabet song.

"_Singing the alphabet was pointless,"_ she thought , " _especially when you already know the __**whole**__ thing."_

Suddenly, the door burst open. The ANBU ninja looked at her, staring at the watch on his wrist. She held her tiny suitcase in her left hand, and a velvet teddy bear in her right hand. The teddy bear's name was Maemi, which stood for "smile of truth". She loved how it always smiled, it was perfect. Not a grin, and not a mocking smile, it was the first birthday present she received from her parents.

"I see that you are ready to go then? I have been assigned to escort you safely to the Sand Village. The journey will only take one day, if you can hold on tight to my back. If not, I can try to stuff you in my backpack, though I must say that will not be enjoyable." said the ANBU ninja.

Kaori hung on for her life as they entered the forest. She had never been outside of her house before, due to the methods of her caretaker. She stopped sniffling, and concentrated on the trees ahead of her. It was springtime, her favorite season. The sun's rays beamed down in her face, making her squint her charcoal-colored eyes.

"_Nature is really beautiful this time of the year," _she nodded.

With a smile of truth, she buried herself in the warmth of the ANBU ninja's shoulders. Soon she was soundly asleep.

One Day Later….

Within a day, they had arrived at the Sand Village.

_Wow, I never thought this village would be entirely made out of sand. Literally, _thought Kaori, staring at the Sand Village's walls.

The ANBU ninja said, "This is where we part, my friend. I must return to Konoha." He stopped and set Kaori down on a doorstep. "May you succeed in getting used to your new home." With those words, he disappeared into the darkness.

The door knob turned. Kaori saw a young red-headed boy staring at her. She smelled something cooking inside the house. She gulped.

"Umm.. Do you know anyone named Chiyo Akasuna? If she doesn't live here I guess I could ---" she said in a barely audible voice. That boy was strange. Something about him seemed to strike her. He doesn't look like one of those wise guys she saw at her old preschool.

"_Heh.. That Naruto, always showing off in class about becoming Hokage. Oh, I remember now. That guy Sasuke always makes him mad for some reason." _She thought of preschool in Konoha, which made tears form in her eyes.

" No. She does live here. Chiyo baa-sama!!!" called the red-headed boy.

Reality set in. A middle-age woman showed up at the door. Kaori strengthen the grip on Maemi. She did not feel good.

"Hello, you are Kaori right? Welcome to your new home. Come and sit, dinner's almost ready! Sasori, please show Kaori to the bathroom. She needs to tidy up. Oh my, she must be tired after that long journey! " chuckled Chiyo. Kaori smiled.

" Ok Chiyo baa-sama! Come on Kaori, let's go. The bathroom is this way!" shouted Sasori.

Kaori followed him. Neither of them said anything to each other. When they reached the bathroom, Kaori broke the awkward silence.

" So, you name is Sasori right? So how old are you?" asked Kaori.

" Me," he looked up, " I'm five years old."

She lathered the soap, rubbed, and rinsed. The she purposely splashed some water onto Sasori.

"Hey!!" laughed Sasori. He splashed some right back at her.

"What, maybe the sink doesn't like you!" laughed Kaori.

"Well it doesn't like you either!"

"How do you know, sinks never attack me!!"

"They do now!" laughed Sasori, and he grew silent, unable to think of anything to say.

Chiyo baa-sama's voice could be heard from downstairs.

"Come one Kaori, dinner's almost ready!!" said Sasori eagerly. "You'll love her cooking, it's delicious."

"Ok Sasori, I'm coming!!" yelled Kaori.

" _I'm happy…This Sasori kid is really fun!! Plus, he comes without cooties. I remember how Sakura use to scream yelling 'Naruto, you have cooties!'. Sasori and Chiyo baa-sama sound like a nice family. But can I really call them one?" thought Kaori. _She held onto Maemi, smiling at Sasori. Together they walked down the stairs, to be greeted by the smiling face of Chiyo baa-sama.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

**By the way: Baa-sama means "Granny" in Japanese.**

Cyndi: Next chapter will be even longer.

Sasori: This story is getting interesting. And I have to say that I'm adorable.

Cyndi: When you were little, yes. but now you're dead.

Sasori: Really? Whatever.

Cyndi: It's ok, you don't die in my story.

Sasori: Great. The advantage of being alive.


	3. Any Given Moment

Chapter 3: Any Given Moment

Cyndi: Third chapter kind of rushed. Sorry. I just hate to leave people waiting.

Sasori: Me too, but I also hate waiting. And the word waiting.

Cyndi: Now Deidara, you don't show up until much later but please recite the disclaimer.

Deidara: **Cyndi does not own Naruto**, un. Sasori, did you change your mind about art?

Sasori: What? Never. By the way, art is eternal. Idiot.

Deidara: What?! Never. Art ends with a bang, un. Idiot.

Sasori: I hate the un. What's with the un?

Big fight ensues, Cyndi finally talks.

Cyndi: We now leave these two **idiots** fighting. Onwards to Chapter Three!!

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

_Recap-_" _I'm happy…This Sasori kid is really fun!! Plus, he comes without cooties. I remember how Sakura use to scream yelling 'Naruto, you have cooties!'. Sasori and Chiyo baa-sama sound like a nice family. But can I really call them one?" thought Kaori._

Kaori sat down, just in time for dinner. Sasori helped his grandmother lay out the table.

Dinner consisted of sushi and a bowl of miso soup for each person. When everyone was finally together at the table, Sasori stood up.

"Itadakimas! Let's eat!" said Sasori. He dug into his miso soup. Kaori was astounded, he was very lively. Chiyo smiled at him, then she turned to Kaori.

"Kaori, how are you? Are you hungry?" asked Chiyo.

"No, I'm fine. I was just watching Sasori-kun eat. He's probably really hungry. If he is really hungry, I guess he could eat some of my sushi." said Kaori. Kaori thought honestly was the best policy, mainly because her parents taught it to her when she was three.

Chiyo laughed so hard it cause Kaori to jump up. "Kaori-chan, we don't want Sasori to get any chubbier than he is now right?"explained Chiyo. Sasori then glared at her, putting down his chopsticks. During the rest of dinner, he used his remaining time to sit there and glare at Chiyo.

"Chiyo-sama? Is it true that the Sand Village has a preschool too?" asked Kaori.

"Well... We don't call it preschool here in the Sand Village. It's more of a ninja preparatory school for young ninjas," sighed Chiyo, who didn't like the teaching methods of the Sand Village. Kaori hugged her little Maemi tightly. This calmed her.

"Oh." said Kaori.

_"Was the Sand Village really that harsh when it comes to learning?" _thought Kaori. She would be going there tomorrow, but it might take some strength to wake her up in time. After all, school starts at 8:00 AM sharp.

"Kaori? Well, you'll be starting ninja preparatory school tomorrow, so you'll find out the differences between that and your old preschool." said Chiyo, twirling her chopsticks. Kaori shoved a piece of sushi is her mouth. It was delicious, just like Sasori said.

"This is really good! Just like my parents-" Kaori stopped for second, "used to make."

Chiyo stared at her. Sasori stopped glaring and stared at her. She began feel uncomfortable again. She dropped Maemi onto the ground.

"Sasori?" said Chiyo.

"Yes, Chiyo baa-sama?" replied Sasori. He stood up and nodded.

"I think Kaori doesn't look too well right now. Could you please show her the way to her new bedroom?" asked Chiyo, pointing to the stairs.

"Sure Chiyo baa-sama!!" said Sasori. He picked up Maemi and held it out to Kaori. She accepted.

Leaving Chiyo in the kitchen, Sasori and Kaori walked down the stairs. Soon, they reached her new bedroom. She opened the door, and gasped.

"It's so..!! It's beautiful!" exclaimed Kaori. She looked at the brightly painted wall. It was just the right shade of lime green. Her new bed was covered with a red satin sheet. The closet was filled with new clothes. She looked out the window... Where was the window?

"Sasori-kun, where's the window..?" asked Kaori.

"Well, you don't want a window. Not here." said Sasori.

"Why?" asked Kaori again, growing just a tiny bit annoyed. She tapped her little feet. on to the ground, producing a steady rhythm.

"One guy in our village had a window in his house once, and he was buried in sand the next morning." Sasori explained. "You see, our village is the Sand Village, so it might not be wise to build a window, in case of sandstorms."

"Oh. I didn't know, but I used to look out the window all the time. you know, waiting for my parents to come home." said Kaori. _Parents. _Then she realized something. Something she almost figured out at dinner. Sasori's parents, where were they? Was it just the two of them, Sasori and Granny Chiyo? Sasori had a lot in common with her. She remembered how she always used to grow bored of her caretaker.

"Yeah, I used to do that too," Sasori interrupted, "before they passed a no window law." He looked at the ground. Kaori swore that she would never bring up the word parents again.

_"I'm so selfish,"_ Kaori thought. _"But Sasori, he never brought up his parents. Not once. I guess he experienced how reality could be so unpredictable too."_

"Sasori... Are you older than me?" Kaori was desperate to change the topic. Sasori looked up at her. He was glad of the change.

"I think so. When were you born?" Sasori asked.

"December 28th, at the end of the year." said Kaori.

"Oh, then I'm definitely older than you, Kaori-chan." Sasori smiled. "By the way, ninja preparatory school is really different form your so-called preschool. What is preschool?"

"Well, you get cookies and color. Sometimes if you're good, you get a sticker." said Kaori, unsure of his reaction.

Sasori laughed. "Well, you're in for a little surprise tomorrow. Be ready to fight others with kunai and shuriken."

"And those are?" Kaori gulped. She crawled into the bed and tucked herself into the blankets with Maemi.

"Really sharp weapons. I'll bring a first aid box. We don't have a nurse. Good night." said Sasori, and he turned off the lights. Kaori heard the faint sound of the door shutting behind him.

"Good night," she murmured.

_"Ninja preparatory school? More like 'Increase your health insurance before you Go' school. Darn, I have to rest up."_ thought Kaori. She fell asleep in five minutes. It was a long day, traveling from the Hidden Leaf Village to a Sand-Castle Village. She needed to rest.

Meanwhile, Sasori peered into her room. He didn't fully shut the door, and he was curious.

_"Hmm.. This girl is going to get the surprise of her lifetime tomorrow."_ Sasori thought. _" She isn't that bad. Well, no cookies or stickers in the Sand Village.. "_

He smirked and walked into his own room.

"Good night Mom. Good night Dad." Sasori looked at his puppets. Soon he too fell asleep.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

Sasori: Cookies and stickers? She's a goner.

Cyndi: Sasori, it's called preschool.

Sasori: One kid actually died when I was in preschool. Some guy named Gaara killed him.

Cyndi: Not Gaara!

Sasori: Yes, Gaara. Oh well, I'll wait for what happens tomorrow.

Cyndi: Hai!! Tomorrow is Kaori's first day of preschool. Stay tuned for what happens next.


	4. Kunai and Shuriken

Chapter Four: Kunai and Shuriken

Cyndi: I messed up somewhere in the 3rd chapter. Age misconception. Thank You Zianna.

Sasori: Great you screwed up big time.

Tobi: Who's gonna say the disclaimer?

Cyndi: Uhh... Kaori can. She's the main character.

Kaori: **Cyndi does not own Naruto**. She owns the story plot though.

Cyndi: Thank you Kaori. Now, without waiting anymore-

Kaori&Sasori flinch at the word "waiting".

Cyndi: Geez, calm down. Word-phobia. Chapter Four: Kunai and Shuriken!! Constructive criticism is more than welcome, it's needed. If you have any ideas to improve the story, please say so. R&R!!

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**

The Next Morning

It was 7:45 A.M. Honestly, Kaori had never woken up this early before. She yawned and continued to go to sleep. The pillows were so fluffy. She relaxed----

"HEY KAORI-CHAN!!! IT'S TIME FOR NINJA PREPARATORY SCHOOL!!" shouted someone's voice. It was coming from downstairs. Kaori sighed. She knew it was Sasori's voice, even though Granny Chiyo was also up.

She didn't move. She didn't want to wake up. Alas, it was different here in the Sand Village.

"Kaori-chan? It's time for school dear," Chiyo baa-sama opened the door,"and if you're late, you're new sensei won't be pleased."

"Five more minutes..." Kaori turned to the other side of the bed. Chiyo sighed.

"_I have no choice but to activate my chakra strings..."_ Chiyo smiled._ "She will be a little shocked though."_

Suddenly, she was moving. She wasn't moving of her free will though. Then she saw blue strings coming from Chiyo's hands. She tried to move, but her little arms were moving by themselves. Her legs walked to the bathroom.

"You can come out when you're done getting ready," said Chiyo. " You'll need to brush your teeth and wash your face. Then change into sometihng besides your pajamas. Breakfast will be in the kitchen." Kaori looked at her with her mouth hanging open.

_"How did she do that? The art of puppetry? Hmm.. that's some skill. Perhaps Sasori also knows the way of the puppet," _thought Kaori.

She quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then she combed her hair into a ponytail. Finally, she tied a black ribbon in her hair. She headed downstairs, she could not be late for ninja preparatory school today.

Breakfast was made up of cereal. Kaori gulped it down in a hurry and ran after Sasori.

"Hey, wait for me!!" She called. "I don't know the way to school!!"

Sasori slowed down, but continued to run. "This way!!"

When they arrived at school, Kaori expected to be greeted by her new sensei. Instead, the chounin teacher just pointed at an empty desk next to Sasori. She quickly sat down. She did not want to get off the wrong foot in school.

"Today we have a new student. Her name is Kaori Sunai." He pointed to Kaori, who blushed. Kaori didn't like to be in the spotlight. "Anyways Kaori, my name is Kishmo, and I'm your teacher." Kaori looked up at his face. His sand-colored hair was covered with a hat. His headband, which proudly displayed the Sand Village's symbol, was tied to his neck. Beetle-black eyes came with his odd face. Kaori giggled a little.

"Today's lesson will be on kunai and shuriken use. I hope that you all have brought a first aid kit. Kaori," Kishmo-sensei turned to her, "this is your first day here."

_"Maybe he'll tell the rest of the students to spare me. The maybe I won't get hurt!!"_ Kaori thought smiling. She did her best to assume an angelic pose.

"That means, students," said Kishmo, "that she must understand the feeling of physical pain. Kaori, it is your first day here, but you will not be treated special. Students, treat her ike she has been here since we started school in September. Don't let emotions get in the way, and don't go easy on her just because she's new."

Kaori almost collapsed. With her legs shaking, she headed over to the training ground. There was a total of twenty-one students in the class. Each one came with a kunai in one hand, shuriken in the other. Kaori waited for Kishmo-sensei to divide them into teams. That never came.

"Every person is to defend his or herself. Once you give up, come back into the building. The last one standing will be rewarded." said Kishmo-sensei. Kaori wished she could go back to Kohona.

_"How come the Sand Village had such high expectations?" _wondered Kaori._ "Is he really expecting five year olds to attack each other without mercy?"_

"I will count to ten, that will be just enough time to get into a hiding spot." Kishmo said. "1...2...3..4..."

Kaori looked at Sasori. He nodded, and soon disappeared behind a bush. Kaori needed to hide too.

"5...6...7..." continued Kishmo-sensei.

She chose the biggest tree she could find. She climbed up the top. Then she just sat there waiting to be discovered.

"8...9...10!! Start!!" Kishmo-sensei went back inside the school.

She heard screams. Those children were practically killing each other. Soon, everything became quiet. She heard someone breathing on her neck. She turned around to find a some sort of wise-guy boy looking at her.

"So, you, Sasori, and I are the only ones left, huh? I injured about nineteen of them, maybe I killed one. Oops, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Akira, and I'm personally here to make your life miserable." A young boy with green eyes and blond hair glared at her. His outift was stained with blood.

_"Uh.. I'm scared. No way, I'm not going to let the blood-obsessed freak kill me. Not here, not ever. Where's Sasori? He did a good job hiding..."_ thought Kaori. Millions of thoughts were in her head now. She almost fell of the tree branch, but regained balance at the last minute. She clung to the tree branch, almost falling.

Unable to defend herself, Akira took the opportunity to throw the kunai at her . It almost hit, except that-

"What? Why are _you_ here?" Akira yelled.

"What? You expect me to watch you kill her? Idiot." Sasori helped Kaori up. She muttered a hesitant "thanks".

Akira didn't notice that Sasori attached chakra strings to him when he let down his guard. With a twist of Sasori's fingers, Akira flew into a nearby tree branch.

Kaori looked everywhere for the kunai Akira had just thrown. She looked at Sasori, and then she almost screamed.

One of his sleeves were torn and bloody. Sasori took the blow, and he didn't say anything about it.

"Sasori-kun?" Kaori asked. " Why did you.."

"What? You mean this?" He pointed to the wound. "Kaori, you're something I have to protect. You're like my sister now. It's different. So from now on, no matter what, I'll protect you."

"We'll protect each other Sasori, no matter what happens. Plus, girls can protect boys too, you know. This is a pact, so don't break it. Even though we're five year olds, we think bigger. You and I get the big picture. We're not like those other stupid five year olds who think killing each other is the best answer." Kaori said.

"Promise?" asked Kaori. She had an air of confidence around her miniature five year old body.

"Until I die." said Sasori.

At that moment, Kishmo-sensei appeared beside them.

"Listen, die or not, there is to be one winner only. Sasori, you must not hold back, even though she _is_ a girl." said Kishmo. "In five minutes, training would be over. If there is no winner, you both will be kept back until you are fifteen. We wouldn't want that now, right?"

_"Umm.. sexist much?"_ thought Kaori. Kaori knew that she could prove that girls were not, in fact, weak. The only thing she would have to do was defeat Sasori, or let Sasori defeat her._"I don't want to fight, so I should give up. But, won't that mean I'll be considered a weakling?"_ thought Kaori. In her mind, she knew that Sasori wouldn't want to lose either.

She looked at Sasori. His eyes were unreadable. He looked determined, though. Kaori and Sasori were both determined to be the winner.

Time was running out. In five minutes, the "training" would be over. If there was a draw, they both would be kept back until they were fifteen. Kaori doesn't want to be a fifteen year old in preschool. She would have to beat Sasori.

**OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO **

Cyndi: What will happen next?

Sasori: Of course I'll win. Men are so much better at fighting.

Kaori: Don't be like Kishmo-sensei, he's definately sexist. Plus, you know you're weaker than me now.

Sasori: ...

Cyndi: Review&Rate please!!


	5. Just My Luck

Chapter Five:Just My Luck

Cyndi: Wow.. I didn't know I could make it to the fifth chapter.

Sasori: That's because you couldn't.

Cyndi: WHAT?! So what's at the top of the page, huh? Read it.

Sasori: Chapter Five: Just My Luck. Oh well, just your luck you made it to the fifth chapter...

Kaori: That's rude!!

-Kaori proceeds to slap Sasori across the face.

Cyndi: Ok...Itachi, please say the disclaimer.

-Itachi stumbles to the microphone.

Cyndi: Shouldn't you get glasses?

Itachi: Never!! **Cyndi doesn't own Naruto. **Sharingan!!

Cyndi: No!! You can't look at Chapter Six yet!!

-Cyndi blindfolds Itachi.

Sasori: Anyways, please read and review.

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_Recap_

_"Listen, die or not, there is to be one winner only. Sasori, you must not hold back, even though she is a girl." said Kishmo. "In five minutes, training would be over. If there is no winner, you both will be kept back until you are fifteen. We wouldn't want that now, right?"_

_She looked at Sasori. His eyes were unreadable. He looked determined, though. Kaori and Sasori were both determined to be the winner._

_Time was running out. In five minutes, the "training" would be over. If there was a draw, they both would be kept back until they were fifteen. Kaori doesn't want to be a fifteen year old in preschool. She would have to beat Sasori._

Kaori looked for Sasori. He was nowhere to be seen. That mean's that the battle had already started.

Then Sasori jumped out from behind a tree and said, "Don't hold back Kaori! A fight is a fight!" He threw a kunai at her, which missed by inches.

"I won't and I hope you didn't miss that on purpose!" Kaori jumped onto a tree branch, and threw her shuriken at Sasori. That one hit Sasori on the shoulder, tearing his sleeve.

Sasori covered his wound and Kaori bit her lip. How could she hurt her own friend? She knew they both had to give it their all. No holding back, no mercy.

He threw another kunai at her. This one hit her on the ankle. Blood started to come out of her cut, but she couldn't care less.

_"He's better than I thought," _thought Kaori, _"That just means I have to try harder."_

The battle lasted two hours. Two hours of dodging, positioning, running, and targeting. Beads of sweat formed on Kaori's face. She still wasn't about to give up. She turned to face Sasori, who was right across from her. She positioned her kunai in her hand, prepared to strike. With a twist of her hand, Kaori threw the kunai at Sasori. Sasori bent his knees, ready to jump, but he didn't.

_"Damn! That's going to hit one of his vital points! He's going to die if he doesn't move!" _thought Kaori. Sasori smiled. He was going to let her win.

"Sasori, move!! What the heck are you doing just standing there?" yelled Kaori.

At the last second, Kaori jumped in front of Sasori. She just earned herself a three inch cut on her arm.

"Hey, you weren't supposed to-" protested Sasori. Kaori looked at him, her friend, and smiled.

"I told you I would protect you too, Sasori-kun. You're my friend." whispered Kaori. Then she passed out.

When she came to, she was in the Sand Village's hospital. She looked around. Many children were in hospital beds. Apparently they had gotten far worse injuries than Kishmo-sensei thought, and therefore had to be transported to a hospital. Nurses tended to each child, giving them fresh bandages and linen.

Suddenly, two adults came into the room, guided by a doctor.

"I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid your little Aimi only has a thirty-five percent chance of living," explained the doctor, "and that will only be so if we manage to gather all of our greatest medics by today."

The mother sobbed. "But.. _My_ Aimi can't die, she's so young, and she's so bright!" sputtered the father.

Kaori's eyes grew wet. But she knew she couldn't make a difference for the child.

Sasori came into the room, and walked to Kaori's bed.

"Nice match." Sasori said. He put a fresh bouquet of flowers onto the table next to Kaori's bed.

"Yeah. I would have won too. But I had to take the hit, it was going to hit one of your vital points. Oh! What did you get for a prize?" asked Kaori, curious.

"The prize? Oh yeah, I'll share it with you." He took out a box of chocolate, and gave Kaori a piece.

Kaori accepted it and bit it. True, it was really tasty but-

"Wait! You mean all of us were fighting for a box of chocolate?!" questioned Kaori.

"Yes, but I didn't know either. That was pointless fighting, I guess." shrugged Sasori.

"What happened after I, you know... passed out?" asked Kaori.

"It's a long story..." started Sasori, "It would be better not to say.."

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_Flashback_

_"Congratulations Sasori-san, you won the fight- I mean, training!" said Kishmo-sensei. He handed Sasori a box wrapped in gold paper._

_"Yeah, but what about Kaori? She would've won..." protested Sasori._

_"It doesn't matter, Sasori. You're conscious, she's not." said Kishmo-sensei._

_"But..." continued Sasori, " She's a better shinobi than me, she proved it."_

_"She only proved that she was stupid enough to let friendship get in the way of a fight." said Kishmo, his voice getting lower._

_"Well, if you said that it's ok to win __**that**__ way, then I just can't accept this... prize-thing-object.." growled Sasori. He was getting mad now._

_"If you don't accept it, then I'll kick you back to kingdom come, you ungrateful..." Kishmo-sensei yelled._

_Sasori sighed, there was no use to fight with this jerk. He tucked the box in his coat and headed for the hospital._

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Oh, ok." replied Kaori.

The pair turned their attention to the sobbing mother.

"Doctor, is there any hope for my little Aimi?" whispered the young woman.

"I'm sorry, but unless we can generate a large amount of chakra... She'll die." answered the doctor.

Kaori couldn't stand it any longer. She struggled to her feet, and limped across the room to Aimi's bed.

"Kaori, what do you think you're doing?" asked Sasori, who ran over to support her.

"Sasori, I need your help. Summon all of your chakra and focus it in her heart. 1...2...3...Now!!" said Kaori.

A great flash of blue light came upon Aimi's pale face. In half an hour, Sasori and Kaori ran out of chakra. Kaori nearly collapsed on the floor, if Sasori had not caught her in time.

"I told you stubborn children that it was hopeless...Such stubbornness.." scolded the doctor. Sasori looked at Kaori. He had never seen her look this downcast before.. He had to do something, even though Aimi seemed lifeless.

"So? We both believe in Aimi. Today I saw her in class, she was so energetic. She'll make it. Dattebayo!!" shouted Sasori. Kaori looked at him and smiled.

"Oh my gosh, look, she's opening her eyes!!" a nurse screamed.

Aimi opened her crystal blue eyes. She looked at Kaori and Sasori. Then she smiled and closed her eyes. Her breathing steady into a rhythm.

"She's alive!! Someone get water for her!!" another nurse hollered. The head doctor came forward and stared at Kaori and Sasori.

"You two... I didn't know you two could possess so much chakra.. Especially that _girl. _Why, you two are child prodigies!!" exclaimed the doctor, who shook Sasori's hand.

_"Does sexist run through the Sand Village?"_ thought Kaori, as the head doctor shook her hand.

At that point, Sasori was hugged by Aimi's mother. Kaori laughed as Sasori made a gagging motion.

"I... Thank you, young man. Also, thank you, young lady. You two will grow up to be fine shinobi some day. No doubt about it," said the father.

Sasori broke off from the continuous hugging, he couldn't stand that much hugging. He looked at Aimi's father. Then he realized something about him. He was the Kazekage of the Sand Village!!

"Excuse me sir, but aren't you-" Sasori started to say.

"Hush," said the Kazekage, "You'll blow my cover... I'm here in disguise. I don't want anyone asking me for autographs, now. I'm here to visit my daughter, that's all. Here, give this to Kaori. But don't give it to her now, someday later, when it will be the right moment." he handed Sasori a ruby necklace. The pendant consisted of a silver heart, and in the center of the heart, was a ruby.

"Why do you want me to give it to her?" asked Sasori. He thought it would be weird if he just suddenly said,_ "Hey Kaori, take this necklace!" _to her.

"It'll come in handy someday, trust me." replied the Kazekage. The Kazekage then went off to hug his daughter, Aimi.

Sasori tucked the necklace into his pocket. He felt weird right now, and his face screwed up into an odd expression.

Kaori came over and waved her hand in front of his face. She laughed at him.

"Your face kind of reminds me of a sour lemon..." she giggled.

Sasori flicked his finger onto her forehead. "Are you serious?" he asked in return.

Kaori laughed, "Here, take a look." She pointed to a mirror.

"Oh." That was all Sasori could say, he was too busy laughing at himself.

"Come on Sasori, you head isn't in Earth today. Let's go home." said Kaori.

"Fine." answered Sasori.

Together they walked home, and dream of what "fine shinobi" they might become in later years to come.

_"When will it be the right moment?"_ Sasori thought.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Cyndi: There will be a time skip in Chapter Six.

Itachi: My sharingan tells me they will be thirteen years old.

Cyndi: Damn, you spoiler-mouth, no wonder why Sasuke hates you.

Itachi: That has nothing to do with why Sasuke hates me.

Cyndi: It doesn't?

Itachi: No, it doesn't. Sasuke, is in fact, gay.

Sasori: This is why this facfic is rated "T", i guess.

Cyndi: Please review... and stay tuned!!

Deidara: Have you noticed that your chapters are getting longer?

Cyndi: Yeah, that's me.


	6. Graduate To Genin!

Chapter Six: Graduate To Genin!

**(time skip to thirteen years of age**)

Cyndi: As Itachi noted in the last chapter, there will be a time skip. Kaori and Sasori are now thirteen. Hooray!

Kisame: Where's Itachi?

Cyndi: I sent him away... Far, far, far away. He won't come back for a while. Since you're here, you can say the disclaimer.

Kisame: **Cyndi does not own Naruto..** I'm gonna go find Itachi. Peace.

Cyndi: I don't think you're ever going to find him, but ok.

Sasori: Please read and review...

Kaori: What Sasori-kun said.

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Eight years passed...

After that life-changing event, Sasori and Kaori were regarded as child prodigies. Sasori didn't like that though, partially because random boys started following Kaori home at night. He would simply attached chakra strings to them and swung them into the nearest trash bin. Then, he would lock the door... Actually, slam the door, then lock it.

"What's up Sasori? Are you afraid of stalkers?" asked Kaori jokingly. She didn't know why Sasori always slams the door behind him when they got home.

Sasori glared at her. Protecting Kaori from stalkers was going to be hard work. Dealing with Kaori was going to be even harder.

"No, just making sure we're safe from the sandstorm..." answered Sasori. It was true, the sandstorms were getting fiercer each year.

_"Sasori-kun... I know he's protecting me from stalkers, but it's much more fun to tease him instead!" _thought Kaori. She couldn't describe it, but she was beginning to feel something for Sasori. After eight years of pranking Kishmo-sensei and play hide and seek in the desert, she felt like Sasori and her were more than brothers and sisters. Destiny was unpredictable, and Kaori respected it. Still, she didn't want wsomething like that to distract her, because tomorrow was the big test!

"Kaori-chan? Sasori-kun? Do you need help study for the final exam tomorrow?" asked Chiyo. Chiyo knew that in order to pass on from academy student to genin, one had to produce seven solid clones. This was different from the Hidden Leaf Village, because academy students only had to produce three. Talk about having the easy way out.

"No thanks, I already know it." replied Sasori. He already mastered the clone jutsu at he age of ten. Kaori was, like always, one step ahead of him. She could show him twenty clones tomorrow, but she knew she shouldn't brag.

Sasori went into his room to study. Kaori followed him, making sure she didn't step on one of his puppets.

"Hey, Sasori-kun? I have to ask you something. How many clones can you make?" asked Kaori.

"About thirteen and a half, I guess." he answered. His eyes were concentrated on the book that he was reading. His right hand held the book while his left hand was fixing a damaged puppet.

"Hmm.. That's good enough. At least both of us are going to pass the class and become genin!!" said Kaori. Her heart was pounding because tomorrow was the day they would be tested and divided into teams!

"Oh," Sasori looked up and put his book down, "I hope you and I are on the same team, Kaori-chan."

"She needs someone to protect her from those perverted freaks.." thought Sasori. He thought for a moment. Why was he so concerned about those perverts? _"Grandma Chiyo always said that thinking of anything "pervert" related could lead to a dirty mind.." _thought Sasori. _"Maybe Kaori-chan is just different now. She's a better shinobi than I am, and she likes my art. She's my sister, right?"_

"Well, Sasori-kun, rest up. Tomorrow's the big day, so I'll see you in the morning." yawned Kaori. She winked at him and shut the door.

"I'm getting tired too... But just let me finish my seventh puppet first..." Sasori dozed off, and fell asleep.

Kaori went inside her room. Everthing looked the same, felt the same, and even smelled the same. She shook her head.

_"I can't understand.. What's so different about this place?"_ she wondered. Then she thought of Sasori's face. He was more open now, more happy. She smiled, she was so happy to see him smiling at her. She climbed into her bed and snuggled in the warmth of the blanket.

She fell asleep, hoping that she would pass the test tomorrow.

The Next Morning

"Ah..." yawned Kaori. "I feel great! Better get dressed and ready!"

She climbed out of her bed and after she washed her face, she brushed her teeth.

_"Hm.. Did Sasori wake up yet?"_ thought Kaori. She got dressed in her new outfit, a red long-sleeved t-shirt with a black v-neck vest over it. Then, she found a pair of black baggy capris to match. Lastly, she tied her hair half-up and half-down. For the finishing touch, she tied a black ribbon to her crimson red hair. Her hair was elbow-length now, just the right length.

She ran down the stairs, and into Sasori.

"Hey, watch out!" called Kaori, but it was too late. She and Sasori tumbled down the stairs. Sasori laughed.

"Maybe you're a little too excited." he said. "Trust me, this test is going to be too easy."

They ate breakfast, and raced all the way to school. Kaori was four feet ahead of him, when-

"Cheater!" yelled Kaori. Sasori used his chakra strings to pull her back in the opposite way.

Sasori smirked at her and went inside the building. Kaori followed.

In The Classroom

"Ok, everyone is here. Now we will start the test. Each one of you is going to generate seven clones for me, and remember, don't hold back." said Kishmo-sensei.

"First, Aimi Aii." Kishmo called. "Aimi, try your best. If you fail, you'll be kept back. So, no pressure, I take it?"

"Um.. Here I go!" said Aimi. A great cloud covered her. Kaori couldn't see her, but she remembered that Aimi was the girl she saved eight years ago.

The cloud faded. Seven Aimi-clones waved at Kishmo-sensei. He nodded, and gave her a shiny new headband. Kaori looked at Aimi and whispered, "Good Job".

"Sasori Akasuna! Come on, you child prodigy. I know you wouldn't have trouble!" encouraged Kishmo-sensei while Sasori glared at him.

Sasori formed a hand sign and yelled, "Clone jutsu!" Thirteen and a half clones greeted Kishmo-sensei.

"Fantastic! Just what I would expect from my best student!" shouted Kishmo. Kaori smirked, she could do better. She smiled at Sasori, who tied the headband onto his head. In return, he smiled back and gave her a thumbs-up for good luck.

And so continued the alphabetical order, with each child receiving the long adored shinobi headband.

"Akira Sunayu!" said Kishmo-sensei. Akira gave him a mocking laugh and yelled, "Clone jutsu!". Ten perfect clones appeared, and Kishmo gave him the headband.

"Kaori Sunai?" called Kishmo. "Hmm.. the girl who helped Sasori-san heal Aimi right?" Kaori smiled a plastic smile. She was going to show him who's boss...

"Nah, I helped her, it was the other way around." said Sasori, who was sitting at his seat.

Kaori took a deep breath ana cried, "Clone jutsu!". Twenty clones made the victory pose in Kishmo-sensei's face.

"...Very well, you passed." said Kishmo-sensei, who was trying to hide the look on his face. He handed her the last headband, which she gladly accepted. She tied it around her neck. She jumped over to sit next to Sasori and gave him a hug.

"Guess what? We're genin now!" screamed Kaori. Sasori smiled.

"Ok, enough with the chit-chat. You will be assigned into groups now. Each team will be lead by a jounin-leveled shinobi. Now I'll divide you into squads of three..." said Kishmo-sensei.

"Kaori Sunai, Sasori Akasuna, and Aimi Aii." recited the teacher. Kishmo led them to a separate room to wait for their new sensei to come.

Aimi was so excited to be on a team with her two heroes. She hugged Kaori.

"We're on the same team, Kaori-chan!!" shouted Aimi. The she hugged Sasori, who tried in vain to break the hug.

Kaori pushed her away. She didn't like that.

"Um... He doesn't like hugging." she explained, trying to think of a way to keep Sasori away from fangirls. Sasori quietly thanked her.

Then the door opened. Someone came in. Their new sensei was...

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Kaori: NO!!! The evil cliffhanger!

Cyndi: I ran out of ideas... Sorry.

Sasori: Hmm.. Kaori produced twenty clones.

Kaori: In. Your. Face.

Sasori: Well, fine. I'm a better puppet person.

Kaori: I don't want to be a puppet.

Sasori: Oh.

Cyndi: Stay tuned. R&R


	7. A New Sensei

Chapter Seven:Their New Sensei

(This chapter is sort of important as a flashback for later chapters)

Cyndi: Sorry for the long wait. I think... it's been a week.

Deidara: You've gotten lazy. What have you been doing?

Cyndi: Eating chocolate and candy.

Tobi: Tobi is a good boy! I want candy! Oh, I'm eating this new brand of cereal, Rice Krispies! Snap, Crackle, Pop...

Deidara: You're so annoying!

Tobi: Am not! You're not a good boy. At least Tobi is a good boy...

Deidara: Why you...

-Half an hour passes. A faint _"Katsu!" _could be heard in the distance.

Cyndi: Nobody is saying the disclaimer... So, **I do not own Naruto**.

Deidara: Hey.

Cyndi: What did you to Tobi?

Deidara: I made his head go snap, crackle, and pop... Then Boom!!

Cyndi: Poor Tobi...

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Recap-

_Then the door opened. Someone came in. Their new sensei was..._

Kaori looked around. She was sure the door had opened, but no one came in. Then the door shut with a thud.

"Hey, Sasori, did you see anything come in?" asked Kaori. She scanned the room one more time, but nothing that looked like a human was in sight.

"No..." replied Sasori. He stayed on his toes, looking around for an intruder.

"I'm scared..." was all that Aimi could say. She wanted to move closer to Sasori, but Kaori stopped her and pointed at a bunny in the corner of the room.

"Is that a bunny?" asked Kaori. She nudged Sasori foward. Sasori moved closer to it, making sure that it was, indeed, a bunny.

_"Umm.. Ok, is our new sensei supposed to be a rabbit?"_ sighed Kaori. _"Perhaps it might be ANBU-leveled or maybe it talks..."_

Then the rabbit scratched Sasori on the face, creating a scarlet cut on his face. Sasori remained silent and covered his wound. It jumped up and down, looking as if it was mocking all the training Sasori had gone through to become a genin. Then the unthinkable happened. The bunny opened it's mouth, and blew a huge hole into the wall. Kaori jumped back, holding onto Aimi, who was holding on to Sasori.

_"Oh...Kay, this is one strong rabbit..."_ thought Kaori, biting her lip. _"Wait! This is a summoning jutsu!"_

"Ok, now I get the impression that you three are nothing but little brats who somehow aced the examination. That's not a good first impression, right?" said a voice. The voice belonged to a female. Kaori turned around and saw a woman standing in front of them. Her gorgeous black hair, which cascaded down to her waist, was tied in a long, flowing ponytail. Her green eyes looked down at Kaori, Sasori, and Aimi. She wore her headband on her forehead, which made her look even more beautiful. Her outfit consisted of a green vest over a black sweater. She wore pitch black pants. An emerald scarf blew in the breeze which came in through the hole in the wall. Kaori didn't even notice her standing there until she talked.

"Are you our new sensei?" asked Aimi. Aimi stared at the woman like Sakura would stare at Sasuke. This woman was either in her late teens or early twenties. The rabbit hopped onto her shoulder, never keeping an eye off the threesome.

"Well, I have to see how pathethic you are first... If you really are that useless, I'll have you sent back to the preparatory school." smirked the young woman. "But first, we have to get to know each other. Something like an interview.. Let's start with _you_." she pointed to Sasori, who looked dumbfounded. " Yes _you,_ the one with the bushy red hair. Tell me your name and what is your goal in life?"

Sasori looked at her with blank eyes. He thought for a while, and finally spoke.

"My name is Sasori Akasuna. As of this moment, I don't really have a goal in life..." replied Sasori, with a tone of boredom in his voice. Aimi had little anime hearts dancing around her. Kaori elbowed Aimi in the ribs, telling her to knock it off.

"How exciting your life must be." said the woman sarcastically. "Now, you, the one with blonde hair.. Aimi, right?" Aimi nodded and spoke.

"My name is Aimi Aii. My goal in life is to overcome my fear of," Aimi glanced at Sasori for a minute while he glared at her, "a certain person over there." She pointed at Sasori, who glared at her with more intensity. Kaori giggled a little bit, maybe Aimi wasn't a fangirl. Even Aimi should know that Sasori is a grinch sometimes.

"Ok... That was interesting." commented the woman. "Hm, I don't know your name yet, but you're the last one to introduce yourself." She looked at Kaori, who nodded.

"My name is Kaori Sunai.

I know I'm not much of a hero, but I always try my best at everything.

A goal in life? I want to protect that special someone.

I want to protect him and keep my promise."

Kaori finished, while Sasori stared at her like she was the first woman president or something. Sasori hit himself on the head.

_"Crap..I forgot to say that too." _thought Sasori. He remembered the pact that they made when they were five. He just didn't think of it until now. He remembered now, though, and swore to himself that he would never forget again.

"Finally, someone who has a serious goal in her life." said the woman. "Oh well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mizuki, and on my shoulder.." She pointed to her little bunny on her shoulder. "This is Rini. I'm pretty sure she is stronger than all of you presently." Kaori was a little embarrassed. She could see Sasori turn pink, while Aimi turned crimson.

"So, moving along, the first thing I'm going to do," said Mizuki. "is to give you three a test. Follow me."

Mizuki led them to a nearby forest. Well, not really a forest, but more of a plant preservation center. With all the sand in the village, the Kazekage decided to build a park in the northwest corner of the village. This was done by planting a garden within a dome-shaped ceiling.

Once inside the dome, Mizuki pointed to all sorts of plants. Then she pointed at a venus flytrap.

"This plant preservation center was built eight years ago. It started out small, but eventually more plants were added, like this venus flytrap. We also have hybrids, such as that self-detonating plant over there. This other plant is called "Jaashin's Prey". It eats insects such as flies, and it is known to say a bad word once a while." explained Mizuki, pointing at various plants.

"Hey Sasori, there's all kinds of plants here!" said Aimi. Kaori nodded in reply, but Sasori was less than enthusiathic.

"Yeah, there's a lot in here, but I'm trying to figure out what we're having for a test." replied Sasori. He lookd around the dome for any signs of a trap.

"Now, about the test.." said Mizuki. "You three will have to try your best to collect leaves from ten kinds of plants that will create an antidote when put together. Now.." She took out a bottle of poison. "I created this myself. This poison kills in two weeks, and you three will have three days to find an antidote for it. If you fail, I'll cure you, but all of you will be sent back to preparatory school to receive a 24/7 extensive poison-antidote lecture from... Umm.. Who do you hate most for a sensei?" she asked.

"Kishm-" began Aimi. Sasori quickly covered her mouth but it was too late. Kaori sighed, Mizuki knows that Sasori and her hate Kishmo-sensei.

"Splendid! The lecture will be given to you by Kishmo if you fail." said Mizuki-sensei. "Hey, don't be so downcast, I heard he would be delighted to hear about you coming back, Sasori." smirked Mizuki.

Sasori flinched and pretended not to hear. Kaori, however, thought she was wasting time. She asked Mizuki a question.

"We have to collect exactly ten plants, right?" asked Kaori. She liked studying plants and their natural healing propeties, while Sasori slept through many of the classes. Aimi was always trying to get Sasori to wake up, but it never happened.

"Yes, the sensible one finally talks." said Mizuki. "Exactly ten kinds of plants were used to create an antidote, but you may want to collect more than three leaves of each plant to blend, just in case you antidote doesn't work at first. When you think you're done creating an antidote, I will poison one of you... and test it. If the person recovers, you all pass. Remind you, this is a group effort."

Sasori looked across the dome. There were about seventy-five species of plants in the Sand Village, so there was a small chance of figuring out the antidote in three days.

"I'm ready!" yelled Aimi, eyes sparkling. Sasori leaned against the wall, eyes searching for healing plants. Kaori looked at him, and he nodded.

"Kaori, you go left, and I'll go right on the count of three, alright?" whispered Sasori.

"What about Aim-" began Kaori. Sasori covered her mouth, eyes flashing a warning sign.

"Let's ditch her." replied Sasori. Kaori laughed, but regained control.

"Ready?" asked Mizuki. "1...2...3!! Go!" Mizuki dashed off.

Kaori jumped left and disappeared into a nearby grove. Sasori dashed to the right, landing on a tree branch.

_"I'm supposed to go straight, right?"_ wondered Aimi. She ran foward, avoiding the Jaashin plant, which attempted to eat her foot.

The race for an antidote had begun!

Meanwhile

Mizuki pet her rabbit, looking at the dome from the balcony. She looked at Aimi, smiling.

"That Aimi is going the wrong way. Rini, do you think she'll run into the human-sized venus flytraps? Well, the venus flytraps are one of the ten plants to solving the antidote..." asked Mizuki. Rini purred, as if it was answering the question.

"Well, I'm going to bed, I'll see them in the morning." yawned Mizuki.

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Cyndi: Well, I got an idea of writing a story from a story called "Anything But Ordinary" by SapphireDreamz.

Sasori: You mean Kato? I know her!

Cyndi: Ok, stay tuned R&R. You can thank Kato for convincing me to write this.

Kaori: You know how Tobi is a good boy?

Sasori: Yeah?

Kaori: What is he good at, exactly?

Sasori:...

Tobi:...Tobi doesn't understand.


	8. A Race From Death

Chapter Eight: A Race From Death

Cyndi: Thanks to all the people who review. Your comments keep me going, just like caffeine!

Kato: Yeah, but for you, it's caffeine and reviews.

Cyndi: Yeah, I know. Hey Kato, can you say the disclaimer?

Kato: Sure. **Cyndi does not own Naruto.**

Kaori: Enjoy, and review!

Sasori: What if they don't enjoy?

Kaori: Well, flames are accepted, since they improve Cyndi's writing. This chapter was a little rushed, so.. sorry if sucks.

Sasori: That's why I like her... as a friend.

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_A Short Recap_

_"Kaori, you go left, and I'll go right on the count of three, alright?" whispered Sasori._

_"What about Aim-" began Kaori. Sasori covered her mouth, eyes flashing a warning sign._

_"Let's ditch her." replied Sasori. Kaori laughed, but regained control._

_"Ready?" asked Mizuki. "1...2...3!! Go!" Mizuki dashed off._

_Kaori jumped left and disappeared into a nearby grove. Sasori dashed to the right, landing on a tree branch._

_"I'm supposed to go straight, right?" wondered Aimi. She ran forward, avoiding the Jaashin plant, which attempted to eat her foot._

_The race for an antidote had begun!_

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Aimi wandered through the thick growth of the plant preservation center. She couldn't see anything, even though the sun was still shining brightly through the dusty windows of the Sand Village.

She turned around a corner, only to discover some kind of plant. She was a little frightened, because normal plants don't have teeth, or saliva dripping out of their mouths. Heck, they don't even have mouths.

"_What the-" _thought Aimi, trying to dodge the vicious plant, that apparently had not been fed in a while. She threw a kunai at it, but the Venus flytrap didn't feel any pain. It bit down on her shirt, pinning her to the ground.

_"Ok, this is weird. I'm fighting a losing battle... to a plant." _thought Aimi, struggling to break free. _"This isn't good.."_

She held her breath and picked five leaves from the plant. She covered her ears and did the only thing Aimi Aii could do in a situation like this.

"HELP! I"M BEING EATEN BY A PLANT!" screamed Aimi.

Meanwhile...

Kaori was on a picking spree. She had already collected leaves from seventeen kinds of plants, such as the self-detonating plant Mizuki-sensei mentioned not too long ago. She stopped when she heard Aimi yell, and laughed.

_"If she thinks I'm going to fall for that, then she's wrong.. But I'll go, she might need me."_ thought Kaori, suppressing a giggle. _"Seriously, a Sasori fangirl-eating plant."_

She met Sasori along the way, who was holding a bag of numerous plant leaves.

"How many did you manage to get?" asked Kaori. She knew he had way more than her, but she was curious, as always.

"Fifty seven... but I only knew because I was raised here. Now," replied Sasori, "did i just hear Aimi screaming her brains out?"

"Yeah, let's go before she..." laughed Kaori. "..gets eaten by a plant."

When they arrived at the scene, Aimi was just standing there waving at them. Kaori folded her arms angrily. Aimi looked at her eagerly, looking like she discovered a new super-strong jutsu.

"Why did you call us for nothing?" asked Kaori. Aimi was just about to speak when-

Sasori interrupted. "Yeah, Kaori's right. We expected you to be at least half-eaten by the plant or something." replied Sasori, who smiled at the thought of it.

"Ok.." Aimi grimaced a little. "I was getting eaten by a plant, but when I screamed, it kind of just... withered away.."

"Well, I have to hand it to you, even your screams can kill." laughed Kaori.

"Well I don't know, but now I'm going to avoid you.. even more than I normally do." said Sasori, staring at the lifeless plant.

"But maybe this is a rare jutsu that only I can do!" said Aimi triumphantly. She struck a victory pose, but her glory was short-lived.

"Maybe it is, but being able to kill plants just by screaming isn't really going to help." explained Sasori, suddenly serious.

"Yeah, Sasori's right." said Kaori. "Now that we have some plant leaves, we have to start blending an antidote."

Sasori agreed. "She's right, you know."

"How boring.. But that's ok!" screamed Aimi, giggling a little.

"Oh, Aimi." said Sasori, looking at Aimi. Aimi blushed a little.

"Yes?" Aimi stared at him expectantly.

"Don't kill any of the plant leaves, we need them."

"Oh. I won't scream then." said Aimi, a little embarrassed.

Together, Kaori,Sasori, and Aimi poured their leaves into a pile. There were only two days left until their test was over. Kaori, the alert one, could sense Mizuki-sensei looking at their progress from a far distance.

"Hm... This is a little challenging, but if you paid attention during the classes we had," Kaori glanced at Sasori, who blushed a little, " it would be too easy."

Kaori continued. "Ok, so if we put together..." She picked up ten plants, those of whom she thought had the most healing properties, and blended them together. The mixture turned out to be lavender. "Done!"

Sasori stared at the mixture. "Are you sure this is the one? I mean, it only took you ten minutes, and we had three days.." He was unsure, but he trusted Kaori with almost everything.

"Fine, I'll make some more, just in case.." replied Kaori, who mixed up another batch.

Three hours later

"Wow.." whispered Aimi. "You really made that much?"

"Well, if Mizuki-sensei is going to poison one of us, I needed a few spares." replied Kaori, holding up fifteen different colored antidotes.

"I say we poison Aimi!!" shouted Sasori, who got really excited.

Before Aimi could reply, Mizuki-sensei appeared in front of them.

"Hey." greeted Mizuki. "I had Rini track your movements, and she told me you guys were done. It only took a day, right? That's impressive, but I have to see if your antidotes pass... or not."

She looked at each one of them. "Now, who is going to be the lucky volunteer, eh?"

Instantly, Sasori pointed at Aimi. Aimi stood firmly on the ground, pointing at Sasori.

"Hey! It's obvious that Aimi should be the poison tester!" yelled Sasori confidently. "Well, I'm not going to be the poison tester.. I mean, she's a girl.."

"So what if I'm a girl? I'd rather have you die.." mumbled Aimi. "I mean, well, I trust Kaori and her antidotes, but..."

Kaori broke in, apparently annoyed. "I'll test it, ok? God, you people are so annoying, Aimi in particular."

"No way Kaori! I'll do it!" shouted Sasori. He wanted to prove that he still remembered the pact.

"Oh, you're willing to do it then, Sasori?" asked Mizuki, growing impatient.

"Huh? Yeah sure..." said Sasori.

"_Great, now I got myself into a bad situation.. What if I die?" _thought Sasori _"It's ok, I have complete trust in Kaori.."_

Mizuki took out a bottle of poison from her backpack. The poison appeared as a deep shade of violet. Sasori was going to prove that he wasn't scared, but he found that a tad bit hard to do, since he was shivering. Kaori couldn't let Sasori go to the hospital.. again, but she let her better judgment get ahold of her. She kept still, watching Sasori drink the bottle of poison.

Suddenly, Sasori began shivering. His face turned pale, and he was beginning to sweat. Kaori saw Aimi shiver, as though a cold blast of air hit her. Kaori looked at her hands, unaware that she was crying. She knew Sasori wouldn't die because Mizuki-sensei had an spare bottle of antidote in her backpack.

"Ok Sasori, you can start trying the different antidotes that Kaori blended." said Mizuki, in a I-don't-care voice. "I know there are fifteen antidotes for you to try, so you may start... now."

"I don't really think he can move.." interrupted Kaori. "So I'll help him."

Kaori picked up one of the antidotes, a scarlet colored one. She poured in down Sasori's throat, and accidentally splashed some on his cheek. Her hands were still tingling with worry.

Sasori remained the same. His face was pale, and he appeared to be having an intense fever. Kaori knew there were fourteen left of try, so she fed him a yellow antidote. Still, there was no change in Sasori's condition. She tried again and again, eventually using up every antidote she had made, except for the first one she made. A lonely bottle of lavender fluid sat on Kaori's lap.

"Sasori? How are you doing so far?" Kaori wanted to see if Sasori could still talk.

"What?" stuttered Sasori. "Yeah.. I'm-m fin-e-e, but I'm still a little c-c-old. By the way, your antidotes taste like crap."

_"Still the same old Sasori, I guess."_ thought Kaori, smiling in relief. _"He may be on the verge of death, but he still makes comments that make me laugh." _

She uncorked the last bottle of antidote, accidentally dropping one of her tears in it. It hissed, turning the lavender into a light shade of green. Kaori stared at the bottle in disbelief.

_"Damn it! I screwed up the last antidote that we had!"_ thought Kaori in her mind. Aimi had different thoughts, though.

Aimi patted Sasori on the head. "Hey.. I never hated you, and if you have any last words.."

"Shut up." said Sasori. "It's not like I'm going to die, ok?" He struggled to his feet, wobbling over to the last bottle of antidote. He took the bottle, and drank it down in one gulp.

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Cyndi: I'm sorry if this chapter kind of sucked. School and other activities are a danger to my brain.

Sasori: I'm going to die, right?

Kaori: I don't really know, but I think Tobi does.

Tobi: Tobi can see... Tobi sees something!

-Everyone looks at Tobi, waiting for an answer.

Sasori: Tell me... or I'll kill you.

Tobi: Tobi is...

Kaori: Tobi is what?

Tobi: A GOOD BOY!!!

Kaori: Why you...

-Kaori kills Tobi.

Sasori: That's Kaori for you. Please read and review.


	9. Side Effects

Chapter Nine: Side Effects

Cyndi: Who wants to say the disclaimer?

Sasori: Tobi can, even thought he already did it. I mean, he's in every chapter!

Cyndi: Almost every chapter, because he's a good boy..

Tobi: Cyndi does not own Naruto. Is this because Naruto is not a good boy?

Naruto: Hey!

Sasori: It's the Kyuubi! Get him!

Naruto: Ahh! I thought you were dead!

-Akatsuki comes and _tries_ to capture Naruto, but he runs away.

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A short recap...

_Aimi patted Sasori on the head. "Hey.. I never hated you, and if you have any last words.."_

_"Shut up." said Sasori. "It's not like I'm going to die, ok?" He struggled to his feet, wobbling over to the last bottle of antidote. He took the bottle, and drank it down in one gulp_.

------------

Sasori fell onto the ground. Kaori started to move towards him, but Mizuki-sensei sprang to the scene. She looked for a pulse, and when she found one, gave Kaori and Aimi a thumbs up.

"Hey, Red Bushy Hair-kun, are you alright?" asked Mizuki-sensei. "Stop being such a drama queen... You're alive ok?"

Kaori couldn't see Sasori from where he was standing, so she asked Mizuki-sensei, " Is Sasori alright?"

"Apart from a few side effects from you so-called antidote, which worked I'm surprised, he's gong to be fine." explained Mizuki-sensei. "He'll be all better in a day or so. When he's not displaying any signs of sickness, we can all go on our first mission."

"Does that mean we pass?" asked Aimi. She clutched her headband tightly. "I can't wait to tell my father about this!"

Kaori stepped forward. "Yeah.. I can't wait to tell Chiyo baa-sama either! Hey Sasori..." She took a look at Sasori, who pulled his remaining strength into a smile.

Then he uttered his first words. "I don't know, something about me doesn't feel right."

"Well, you know when I was talking about the side effects.." started Mizuki-sensei. "Well, you hair turned to a pale shade of green. It's natural, though, since you hair was supposed to take on the appearance of the antidote's color.."

"So," said Sasori, starting to freak out, " You mean that my hair is going to be green, permanently?"

"Well," explained Mizuki-sensei, "It's going to be like that for a week, after a few days, you should start to see it gradually turn red again."

"So I guess his name is Green Bushy Hair-kun now, right sensei?" giggled Aimi.

"For a week, yes." laughed Mizuki-sensei. Kaori saw Sasori start to laugh too.

_"We're going to be a great team."_ thought Kaori.

After Sasori's hair dilemma

A week later, Kaori, Aimi, and Mizuki-sensei went to the hospital to visit Sasori. Doctors in Suna thought that it would be best for Sasori to be in bed after the shock of the poison (A/N or hair color?). Today was the day Sasori would finally come out of the hospital. Also, it was the day they would all get to go on their first mission together, as Suna's Team Eleven.

"Hey Sasori!" greeted Kaori as she walked into the vast room. "So, you got your hair color back? Even though green does looks good on you... Red looks better I guess."

Kaori held up the mirror in front of Sasori. His hair turned back into a dark shade of crimson. Aimi placed a lily in the vase next to his bed.

"Are you well enough to be participating in today's mission?" asked Mizuki-sensei. Rini twitched her ears expectantly.

"Mission? You really mean it?" answered Sasori. "Awesome! What are we going to do today?" Mizuki took out a folder, and searched for a piece of paper.

"Today," said Mizuki-sensei as she read from a paper, "We will be doing some environmental work in a farm. You know, mostly planting and watering."

"I know it's boring," started Kaori, "But it's still our very first mission!" She got up and started to pack her bag.

"Well," said Mizuki, "Aren't you psyched.. Let's get going then!" Sasori got up from his bed and put on his headband.

"Kaori and I have to go home to pack some stuff." stated Sasori. Kaori agreed, "I guess I forgot something at home. Plus, I have to say goodbye to Chiyo baa-sama."

"Well, Aimi, I guess we'll go to lunch then." said Mizuki-sensei. "I'll meet you two at the village gates at 2:00 in the afternoon, understood?"

"Understood!" shouted Kaori and Sasori as they ran off.

Sasori's and Kaori's Home

"Chiyo baa-sama, we're home!" said Kaori. "Chiyo baa-sama?"

"I'm over here honey. I'm just weaving a new sweater for you Kaori." called Chiyo as she appeared in the door way. "Now, Sasori, are you alright? And are you sure that there isn't a strand of green hair left?"

"Yes Chiyo-baa, I'm sure." answered Sasori, rolling his eyes. "I came here to bring something along..." He went into his room, and shut the door behind him.

Kaori sighed. Sasori was less active ever since the poison incident.

_"What was wrong with Sasori?"_ thought Kaori. _"He's been acting weirdly ever since he went into the hospital."_

"Is there something wrong, Kaori-chan?" asked Chiyo. Chiyo put her hand on Kaori's shoulder.

"Nothing's wrong, why do you ask?" retorted Kaori, pulling herself away from Chiyo baa-sama's comforting gesture.

"I just thought there might be something bothering you."started Chiyo. "Does this have anything to do with that time you and Sasori had that health class?"

Kaori thought back to that so called health class. "Ewww! No way!" shouted Kaori. Chiyo laughed and continued weaving.

At that moment, Sasori appeared in front of them, holding a large package. "I'm ready Kaori, let's go."

"What is that?" asked Kaori. She pointed to his large backpack. It seemed as though a dead corpse was stuffed in it.

"Just like you have your weapons, I have mine." replied Sasori. "I'm bringing along my puppets. I thought you knew, considering your 8th birthday." He tried to remain serious, but Kaori could tell that he was laughing at her inside.

"Oh yeah, your puppets.." said Kaori. She thought back to her eighth birthday. It was the year she found out about Sasori's puppetry skills.

Flashback

She had just finished the last piece of cake and went inside her room. As soon as she opened a door, one of Sasori's puppets fell on top of her.

"There's a burglar in my room!" screamed Kaori.

"Sasori, didn't I tell you to pick up after yourself?" scolded Chiyo. "Sorry Kaori, it's just one of his puppets."

"Sorry Kaori." said Sasori as he picked up the puppet-woman, laughing. "That's my mother."

_"His mother?" _thought Kaori. She realized that Sasori didn't completely forget about his parents.

End Flashback

"So, shall we set off?" said Sasori, smiling for the first time since he was hospitalized. "Mizuki-sensei said that we should get to the gates by 2:00."

"Sure, let's go." said Kaori, holding onto his hand. "I'm pretty sure Aimi would love to think of something funny about you again."

Sasori looked at her, dumbfounded. "What, is there something wrong about me?"

"Well, some of your hair is still green." laughed Kaori, pointing at a strand of hair on Sasori's face.

"Oh, that." said Sasori. "I needed to asked you something."

"What?"

"What was Chiyo-baa talking about, I could have sworn that she said, 'health class' when she was talking to you."

"Oh? Maybe you were just thinking about health class, or maybe you just wanted to talk about health class with me?"

Sasori's face turned into a pale shade of pink. "No, but I could have sworn.."

"Or maybe you liked that health class so much, you're discussing it?"

"Ok, the conversation stops here."

Kaori laughed. "We're almost at the gates now, so it would be a good time to stop the conversation."

They reached the village gates soon, and saw Aimi and Mizuki-sensei waiting for them.

At Suna's Gates

"Hey Red Previously-Green Bushy Hair-kun," laughed Aimi. "So, let's get going!"

"We should finish the mission by sunset. If we're done before that, we can all watch the sunset together." said Mizuki-sensei. "I've decided to keep Rini in the village, because she might devour our plants."

Kaori started running along the path. "What are you waiting for?"

Sasori, Aimi, Kaori, and Mizuki-sensei started walking along the path. Sasori had a lot of thoughts running in his mind. His hands rested in his pocket, holding onto a necklace. He still didn't know when to give it to Kaori.

_"When should I give it to her?"_ Sasori thought. _"Damn that Kazekage, now I see Aimi takes after her father. How come he had to make things difficult?"_

Kaori had her own thoughts. She was too busy worrying about her own emotions. She stared at the ground. She had been visiting Sasori at the hospital each day of the week. Now she's using her hyper side to cover up her inner worry.

_"I... never knew. I never knew I could worry about someone so much. I never know I could love someone that much. I love you, Sasori."_

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Tobi: EmoLollipop is a good girl. Tobi likes lollipops.

Cyndi: Thank you for the reviews, all of you keep me going!

Sasori: Stay tuned, Read and Review.

Kaori: So, what did you have to give me?

Sasori: Nothing. Nothing at all.

Kaori: I guess I'll have to find out myself, right?

Sasori: No. Don't even try, or you'll see my puppet in your room again.

Kaori:...(Good thing he didn't read my thoughts above.)


	10. Akatsuki:Daybreak

Chapter Ten: Akatsuki

(Akatsuki means "Dawn" or "Daybreak" **Remember That**)

Cyndi: Today we have a special guest. (This better be worth the money..)

Zetsu: Hello everyone...

Cyndi: Uhh.. I didn't pay you to come here and say the disclaimer!

Zetsu: I know. Kakuzu paid me twenty dollars to come here instead. How much did you pay him?

Cyndi: Thirty dollars.

Zetsu: Damn... I got ripped off. But that's Kakuzu for you. Anyways, **Cyndi does not own Naruto**.

Sasori: Well.. Read, Review, and Enjoy. By the way, Zetsu, you'll like this chapter.

Zetsu: Why?

Sasori: There are plants in it.

Zetsu: Must you relate everything I do with plants?

* * *

_Short Recap_

_Sasori, Aimi, Kaori, and Mizuki-sensei started walking along the path. Sasori had a lot of thoughts running in his mind. His hands rested in his pocket, holding onto a necklace. He still didn't know when to give it to Kaori._

_"When should I give it to her?" Sasori thought. "Damn that Kazekage, now I see Aimi takes after her father. How come he had to make things difficult?"_

Back----To----The----Present

"Ok, Sasori, you're in charge of feeding the livestock." said Mizuki-sensei as they arrived at the barren farm land. She greeted the old woman who owned the farm and quickly went off to work. "Kaori, you can water the plants. Aimi, you can help Kaori, but no matter what, don't scream."

"Mizuki-sensei." said Sasori (A/N He thinks livestock is everything alive). "What is livestock? Everything I see here is old."

"Sasori," started Mizuki-sensei. "By livestock, I don't mean," she lowered her voice into a whisper. "I don't mean the farm owner, I mean the cows and horses."

"And you're telling me that we have cows and horses in the desert?" retorted Sasori.

"You never knew?" asked Mizuki-sensei. "We also have an animal preservation center because we don't want the Sand Village to be all barren-like. Hmm.. We never had any plants except for cactus in here."

"Let's go to work then." stated Aimi matter-of-factually. She picked up a watering can, and poured tiny droplets of water onto the desert flower. "We can also take notes of the many different kinds of plants for future references. For example," started Aimi. "This is a desert paintbrush."

"Hmm.." said Sasori. "Seems very artistic, I bet it would last for a while. It looks like a real paintbrush."

"Sasori," retorted Aimi. "Do you know that it soon go away fleetingly? Paintbrush flowers don't last a long time."

"No, definitely not." argued Sasori. "This will last for a long, long time. That's the way art is supposed to be."

And so, Aimi and Sasori started bickering for an hour about the paintbrush flower. Aimi thought that flowers don't (and will not) last for a long time before it goes away fleetingly. Sasori argued that a desert flower would last for a long time since it had the word "desert" in its name, and therefor had to be adapted to the desert. Aimi retorted that a flower had no business being in the desert unless it wanted to kill itself. Sasori said that it didn't choose were it lives and that Aimi was being a moron. At last, Kaori was infuriated and decided to intervene.

"Hello?!" yelled Kaori. "We're supposed to concentrate on the mission!" She picked up the flower and stepped on it. "Oops."

Mizuki-sensei appeared in front of them. "I'm finished with my part of the mission."

Aimi blinked. "How could you finish in five minutes?"

"Five minutes?" asked Mizuki-sensei. "It's been two hours."

"So.." stated Sasori. "We were arguing for two hours?"

"Of course." replied Mizuki-sensei. "Now it's approximately 8:00 P.M. That means that the sun already set, so we can't watch it." She smiled. "But that means that you can get started on your chores.."

"Aw..." replied the group of three. Sasori walked away silently to the barn.

Kaori and Aimi stepped onto the wooden plank flooring. Aimi shuddered. "Brighten up Kaori, I bet that there isn't going to be that much plants! After all, it's the desert we're talking about."

Wrong. Once they stepped into the greenhouse, thousands of species of plants were scattered on the ground. "So," said Kaori sarcastically, "You just had to jinx the whole mission, right?" Aimi blushed, and made a zippering motion towards her mouth.

"Hey" Kaori turned around. Sasori stood there. "I came to help."

"You're done?!" yelled Kaori. "I can't believe it."

"I have my advantages," started Sasori. He had a light blue glow emitting from his fingertips. "Especially when I make my puppets do the work."

Aimi sighed. "Lucky you, my father says that only certain people can learn to control puppets. I probably can, but he wouldn't let me get near them."

"Whatever." said Sasori. With a wave of his hand, the puppet opened its mouth and showered everything with water within a two mile radius. The water fell like a mist onto the plants, making it seem like a rain shower hit the desert. "Done."

As they walked back to their host's house, Aimi took the time to complain about Sasori's unnecessary plant-watering method.

"I'm soaked!" shouted Aimi as they reached Kaori's bedroom. "Mizuki-sensei told you to water the plants, not me, you moron."

"Aimi, you really shouldn't talk like that." reasoned Kaori. "It's almost midnight, so I'm going to sleep. See you later." With those words, Kaori shut the door in their faces.

In her room

Inside her room, Kaori had second thoughts. She untied her hair and layed down upon the downy sheets.

_"Maybe I shouldn't have closed the door in their faces,"_ thought Kaori.

_**"You should have, and you did! I mean, they're so annoying when they argue!"**_

_"Yeah, but. How about Sasori?"_

_**"He'll get over it. Just go to sleep already."**_

Kaori sighed, it was pointless to talk to herself for the rest of the night. She looked up at the pale moonlight gazing upon her face. She closed her eyes. Outside, Aimi and Sasori were still bickering...

Meanwhile

Sasori and Aimi stood there glaring at each other with intensity.

"Moron."

"Bitch."

"What the heck? What a sexist."

"You're not worth my time. Bye."

"Why you idiot!"

"I hate you. Good night."

Sasori slammed the door at Aimi's face. "Oh yeah?" yelled Aimi. "How can you slam the door in my face?"

Suddenly, Sasori opened the door. "Like this." He pointed to the door, and then at Aimi's face. He slammed the door in her face once again. It was then that Aimi let out a barrage of swear words.

Other voices can be heard from the end of the hallway. "Go to sleep already!" The neighbors were complaining about Aimi's high-pitched voice. Again.

Aimi turned crimson and headed for her bedroom.

The Next Morning

"Hey," said Kaori, gently shaking Sasori. "Wake up."

"What?" he yawned, clutching onto his pillow. "It's dawn."

"I know." she replied. "Guess what? The sun is rising."

"So?" he yawned.

"Look at the clouds."

"So what? They're red."

"But don't you think it's the loveliest shade of red?"

"Yeah, it looks like a piece of art.." yawned Sasori. His words drifted off. "Eternal...Forever lasting...Art..."

"You know Sasori-kun," said Kaori. "Someday you're going to look out the window, and you're going to see red clouds. Someday, when you're away somewhere, far away from me, of course."

"I doubt it would ever happen."

"You think so? After all, you and I are different in a lot of ways. I mean, you could grow up to be anything you want," she plopped herself onto his bed. "Even a fashion designer or criminal."

"I'm not going to be a fashion designer. Being a criminal sounds boring. What do you want to be?"

"I don't know.." replied Kaori. "Maybe I could be a jounin and go on missions."

"Yeah, definitely. You're suitable for that." He opened his eyes and looked at the red clouds fading away. "The clouds are fading."

"Don't worry, they'll come back." said Kaori. "After all, art does last forever."

"If only everyone could think that way. You're the only one that seems to." Kaori blushed. His face was getting closer and closer. (A/N and closer and closer). Soon she could feel his breath on her neck.

"Good morning!!" The door burst open and in came Aimi. She saw the scene and smirked.

_"Great. Another almost perfect moment ruined by Aimi."_ thought Kaori, still blushing. Sasori blinked. " What are you doing in here?"

"Well, I came here to say good morning," started Aimi. "But I thought I wasn't interrupting something, was I?"

"Umm.." said Kaori. "Why don't we go for breakfast? Right Sasori?"

"What?" replied Sasori, evidently confused. Kaori elbowed him in ribs. "Oh!" Sasori sprang up. " Yeah, breakfast!"

He ran out the door, quickly followed by Kaori.

_"Well, something's going on, and I'm going to find out!"_ thought Aimi.

* * *

Cyndi: I had a lot of fun with this chapter, I hope you did too.

Deidara: And closer and closer and closer.

Sasori: Shut up.

Deidara: Closer and closer and closer...

Sasori: Why can't you just blow yourself up?

Deidara: I'll have to blow someone else up then.

-Deidara blows Kato up.

Cyndi: In your face Kato! That's for throwing me down a well!

Sasuke: Revenge is sweet. Please push the review button.


	11. Operation NOSIE

Chapter Eleven: Operation N.O.S.I.E

Cyndi: Hi everyone... Some of you have been messaging me about whether I'm ever going to abandon this story...

Kaori: Abandon? Never!

Cyndi: That's right. For all of you who read my fanfics, I'm never abandoning this story.. Although it might take a while to update...

Kaori: Hey look at who I got!

-Kakuzu is dragged in.

Kaori: You ditched the last chapter, so say the disclaimer. Or die.

Kakuzu: Never.

Kaori: Ok, I'll pay you ten dollars.

Sasori: It's ok Kaori... I'll pay him..

-Sasori hands over ten dollars.

Kakuzu: You got it. **Cyndi does not own Naruto.**

-Kakuzu runs off with money..

-BOOM!! Sasori and Kaori laughs.

Cyndi: What happened?

Sasori and Kaori: He got one of Deidara's bills!

* * *

_A short recap_

_"Great. Another almost perfect moment ruined by Aimi." thought Kaori, still blushing. Sasori blinked. " What are you doing in here?"_

_"Well, I came here to say good morning," started Aimi. "But I thought I wasn't interrupting something, was I?"_

_"Umm.." said Kaori. "Why don't we go for breakfast? Right Sasori?"_

_"What?" replied Sasori, evidently confused. Kaori elbowed him in ribs. "Oh!" Sasori sprang up. " Yeah, breakfast!"_

_He ran out the door, quickly followed by Kaori._

_"Well, something's going on, and I'm going to find out!" thought Aimi._

* * *

Aimi dashed downstairs to where Sasori and Kaori were having breakfast. Mizuki-sensei had was assigned to an emergency mission with a bunch of other jounin, so they were just hanging around at Aimi's house. She ducked under a nearby table as she watched them talk to each other. Sasori whispered something in Kaori's ear, which made her look over at Aimi's hiding place and laugh. Suddenly, she felt an invisible force pulling her out of her hiding place.

"Hey, what the-" started Aimi. Then she saw a bright glow of blue coming from Sasori's fingertips. _"Figures,"_ she thought. She saw Kaori laugh and Sasori smirk.

_Aimi's POV_

_Why am I always the one who gets left out? I don't get it. Kaori's always the perfect one._

"What are you doing here?" asked Sasori. "I thought you had already disturbed us once this morning."

"I'm not doing anything, if that's what you mean.." replied Aimi crossing her fingers behind her back. "I just dropped something, so.. yeah." She ran away as fast as she could.

_"This is going to be harder than I thought."_ thought Aimi. "_And so starts Operation Nosing Out Sasori's Inner Emotions.. Operation N.O.S.I.E! I like that."_

Meanwhile, Kaori was stealing glances at Sasori. She turned pink at the thought of him liking her back, because there wasn't a possible way he could ever like her.

_**"What if he likes you back?"**_

_"He couldn't have..."_

_**"But he tried to kiss you! What more proof is there?"**_

_"Maybe I had something on my nose?"_

_"__**You're hopeless..."**_

She was lost in her swarm of thoughts. Suddenly, she was knocked back to reality when a voice interrupted. "What's wrong Kaori-chan?" asked Sasori, bored.

"Nothing. Just wondering about our next mission."

"Good, because I thought you were... worried."

"I'm not, so stop worrying you bastar.." Kaori began. Kaori knew she always had a tendency to swear when she was nervous or angry. At this time, she was both.

"Kaori, Chiyo baa-sama said that it wasn't good to swear." stated Sasori plainly. He glanced over at a suspicious-looking plant.

"Who gives a f about fucking swearing?" yelled Kaori. She stopped, shocked at what she just said.

"Aimi..." started Sasori, pointing at the plant. Kaori clenched her fists.

"See what I mean? Everyone's going crazy, just like me! Now you think Aimi turned into some sort of plant?" she stated. "Now I have to worry about a million things, like how you tried to kiss me this morning and you going away someday?" She exhaled.

"Kaori.." stated Sasori, holding onto her hand. "First things first I won't be going away unless I have to, and I don't think Aimi is a potted plant."

"Then what about you trying to kiss me?" argued Kaori, blushing.

"Well," whispered Sasori, "I did try to." Kaori watched him lean in for another kiss, but-

"I knew it!" yelled the plant. "I knew that you two were so into each other!"

_"Damn it!"_ thought Kaori as she watched Sasori suddenly pulling Aimi out of her many hiding places.

"Aimi," started Sasori, "You really shouldn't interrupt people. You know, I hate waiting."

"Yeah, but why do you like her?" asked Aimi.

"She's not annoying."

"And I'm annoying?"

"You could say that."

"Kaori... It's your fault!" Aimi ran over towards Kaori, her hands forming a fist. Sasori quickly ran in front of Kaori and used his hand to block Aimi. He sighed and used his chakra strings to throw Aimi across the floor.

"Sasori, that's no excuse to hurt a teammate!" said Kaori. She couldn't believe the scene she saw, her own teammates fighting over some screwed-up love triangle.

"Aimi," said Sasori angrily, " If you ever hurt Kaori, I will tear you apart. I don't care if you're the Kazekage's daughter, or some weird screwed-up slut. You're nothing to me."

Aimi got up and wiped her nose. By this time, tears were freely streaming out of her eyes and onto the ground.

Aimi's POV

_Nothing I do seems to matter. What would life be without me? Would anyone be affected? Sasori likes Kaori, and I like him. I'm always expected to be the Kazekage's perfect little daughter. And as the perfect one, I get what I want, period._

Kaori thought for a moment. _"What if he said that to me? I would be crying, possibly even more than Aimi. Wait... Kazekage's daughter? I didn't know that.." _She ran in between those two, trying to bring everything back to normal. "Stop!"

Sasori relaxed, and he walked up Aimi. "Sorry." His face still wore a look of disgust, but he tried to at least smile at Aimi. The combination of those two looks created a grimace, still not quite a smile. _"Must not look at her like she's a slut.."_ thought Sasori, forcing a smile.

"Well, sorry isn't enough." whispered Aimi. "I'll tell my father everything, and I'll make sure that I get what I want." She smiled a evil smile.

"Wait!" exclaimed Kaori. "Can't we just solve this without fighting?" Aimi was unstoppable and soon she was out of sight.

"That spoiled little brat." said Sasori. "I doubt the Kazekage would like me after this. Everyone fears the Kazekage, so Aimi thought that we would be afraid of him."

"She's the Kazekage's daughter?" asked Kaori.

"Yeah," grunted Sasori, "and she definitely acts like him."

In The Aii Mansion

"Father!" shouted the blond girl, storming down the vast hallway. She crushed the door with a single punch, and she ran into her father's office.

"What is it dearest Aimi?" asked the Kazekage, holding some silver sand in his fist. He watched as his sand hovered in the air.

"Father, you remember Sasori Akasuna, don't you?"

"Why, yes I do. That young little chap who saved your life while you were five, am I correct?"

"Yes father, but he called me a slut." Aimi put on her best sad puppy face.

The Kazekage turned to her daughter. "WHAT?!!?"

"But father, don't be so hard on him, it wasn't his fault."

"THEN WHOSE'S WAS IT!?! MY DAUGHTER IS NOT A SLUT!" The Kazekage was enraged, and his voice could be heard throughout the entire mansion.

"Kaori Sunai."

Meanwhile

Kaori and Sasori went back to their house, and Chiyo baa-sama was baking cookies.

"Kaori, did you hear something?" asked Sasori and he hung up his jacket.

Kaori stopped for a moment. "Yeah, something sounding like an angry pig came from the west."

"Could it be?" smirked Sasori. "Could it be Aimi's true voice?"

"No, but it sure sounds like it." giggled Kaori.

* * *

Cyndi: The bad side of Aimi, it's coming to destroy us!

Sasori: I never liked being on the same team as her.

Kaori: Tell me about it. Read&Review, and for the chapter preview...

* * *

Preview

Aimi faced Sasori, "You're never going to talk to Kaori again."

"Are you crazy? We're best friends."

"Well, from what I saw, you were more than that."

"So I like her, what's wrong with that? She's better than you."

"You're going out with me, or my father will kill her."


	12. Denial

Chapter Twelve: Denial

Cyndi: Our guest today is... Who was it again, Hidan?

Hidan: Get out here you faggot.. I mean, lady.

-Konan comes in, slapping Hidan on the face... _real_ hard.

Cyndi: Konan... you have to say the disclaimer.

Konan: **Cyndi does not own Naruto**. If she did, she would've... Do I have to say that?

Cyndi: Keep going, I'm enjoying this.

Konan: She would've made Sasori the main character, thus creating a new title. Not Naruto, but "Sasori". And Sasori wouldn't have died.

Cyndi: Good. Let's start the chapter, and there will be a time skip in the next chapter. Be warned.

* * *

Sasori was lying on his bed, apparently unaware of the person across the hall form his bedroom. It was midnight, but then again, his grandmother pitied him, so he could stay up until... Until whenever he felt like sleeping. Kaori turned on her radio to the highest extent, singing along with a religious hymn.

_"God she's loud... Who's worse at singing than Kaori?"_ thought Sasori. Immediately he thought of Aimi singing. _"Never mind, there are worse.." _He still thought about the seemingly unimpressive threat that she had told him a week ago. But no way in the world would he let her kill Kaori. The singing grew louder. Sasori sighed. _"I shouldn't have persuaded her to go to church in the first place."_

He continued to stare at the ceiling, extremely bored. He thought about all the puppets he created, thirteen in all. His third puppet, Kaori, was made to look like Kaori. It had Kaori's hair, and it even had the gray eyes that seemed to smile. His latest one, Ryouki, was armed with poison and various weaponry. Still, it was weak, and he hoped to improve his puppetry skills. He was to build at least three hundred puppets before his death. His lifelong goal, besides protecting the one so dear to him, was to prove to the world that his art was eternal.

He wanted to play. As a child, he felt the need to be loved. Not spoiled, but appreciated nonetheless. He took out "Mother" and "Father". They were the first puppets he made, but they were dear to him. He spread his fingers so that the flow of chakra would be distributed evenly. Slowly, Mother and Father crept towards him, letting out a faint "_Creak_". He wanted to feel loved, and be loved in return. He made them wrap him in a warm embrace, and he was loved. Or at least, felt that way.

Outside, Kaori looked through a crack in the door. She saw Sasori's lonesome form between his first two puppets. She recalled the "Mother" that fell on her during one of her birthdays. _"The other one,"_ she thought, _"must be his Father." _She saw threads of chakra streaming from his fingertips, one on each finger. Suddenly, she felt a sense of peace come over Sasori's face. So peaceful-

Sasori's chakra strings disconnected from his puppets. His eyes widened in shock as Mother and Father plummeted to the ground. Kaori shocked, watched as Sasori stood silently above his puppets, unaffected. She could have sworn a single tear was shed by him as his face grew shadowy. She quickly opened the door and wiped his tear away. She gave him a warm hug, and she said, "Sasori, it's ok. As long as we have each other.."

"It's not the same.." mumbled Sasori incoherently. "They're gone." He collapsed into a heap of sorrow onto the ground, and nothing could move him from the spot. Kaori was going to beat the crap out of him for not being the easygoing guy he usually was. She left the room, not wanting to recall the similar events of her childhood. From that moment on, Kaori had a deeper understanding of Sasori.

As Sasori sulked in his room, a shadowy figure giggled behind him. He paused and said, "Kaori?" He thought that Kaori was being inconsiderate for giggling at a time like this, but he didn't see the blonde-haired girl in front of him. "Aimi? Why are you here?"

"I'm here to make you forget." smirked Aimi. Sasori swore under his breath. "To forget a certain someone."

"Aimi," started Sasori. "Don't forget that I only think of you as an annoying comrade."

"I won't forget." smiled Aimi. "But you will. You have two choices. One," stated Aimi, "you can let me erase your memories of Kaori. You will still remember her, but only as an acquaintance. You will remember only me, your fiance."

"I won't." spat Sasori. "I'd rather die than be your fiance."

"Or two," retorted Aimi, "you can watch as your little girlfriend dies."

She pointed to the Kazekage, who appeared without being noticed. He held a kunai to someone's throat... Someone...

"Kaori!" yelled Sasori. He ran over to her, but the Kazekage created a fresh cut on Kaori's throat. Sasori stepped back. For the first time, Sasori didn't know what to do.

He turned to Kaori, who was unconscious. He slowly turned around to face Aimi, and he gave her the classic "look of hatred". When Aimi refused to let Kaori go, he had to decide. He would forget that he loved Kaori. He would forget that Aimi was a retard. He would forget that he had made this choice. Sasori stood up reluctantly. "I'll forget." He followed Aimi and her father to their home. As he looked behind him, he saw Kaori's face for the last time. The last time he would see her as who she is.

* * *

Kaori's Point Of View

After a fews hours of sleeping, I had finally woken up. I must be drowsy, because I don't remember falling asleep. Sasori was nowhere to be seen, but I couldn't care less. I focused mainly on a wound on my throat. It was caused by a kunai, but I couldn't even remember how I had gotten it. It was a fresh one thought, since it stung as I touched it. I was in Sasori's room, tucked into the bed. I looked under his pillow to find a silver necklace of some sort. I put it on and it seemed as though a strong presence of chakra was stored within it. The blood red heart in the middle had a strange blue glow in its center. Underneath it, was a note. I held it and read it aloud. Sasori's messy handwriting was messier than usual, and it seemed as though it had been rushed.

"Dear Kaori-chan," she started, " I have been given this necklace by the Kazekage when we were both five years old. I've waited eight years to give it to you, and now I'm afraid that I cannot give it to you in person. When I may be different, and not quite the same-" I was dumbfounded, and I stared at the letter.

_"Hormones?" _I thought. I continued to read the letter in disbelief.

"I will have changed, for the better." I finished reading it, and at the bottom I saw something unbelievable. "_Love_, Sasori."

_"Love." _

As I stared at the letter in shock, Sasori opened the door. I greeted him with a smile as he sat down. Quickly, I tucked the letter in my pocket.

"Leave." said Sasori cold heartedly.

"What? Did I do something..." I stuttered. I hadn't seen him so disturbed before.

"Aimi's coming over." He said , emotionless. "You best leave now."

"It's almost 2 AM!" I protested. Secretly, I wondered why Aimi was coming, but I didn't ask.

"I know, she's sleeping over." responded Sasori. "I'm her boyfriend." He pointed to a necklace that Aimi had given to him on his thirteenth birthday. He had somehow managed to find it in the garbage.

I was torn, speechless as most would say. I felt warm tears coming out for no reason. I stared at his heartless face with disbelief as Aimi came into the room.

"Oh!" giggled Aimi. "How are you, Kaori?" I tried to smile through my tears, but I couldn't.

"She was just about to leave." stated Sasori, smiling to her. "Was she?" He turned to me.

"I..I.." I was sniffling. "I was just about to leave." I slammed the door, but before I shut it, I saw them kiss. I wanted nothing more but to plop onto my bed and _cry my _**heart**_ out_. I felt the necklace on my neck turn as cold as ice. I read the letter many times as I tried in vain to see through my tears. In the other room, I could hear Aimi's giggle.

Granny Chiyo came in. She consoled me, and stated that Sasori was going through a phrase. I argued that he had been subjected to witchcraft, but she just looked at me. Without helping me at all, she left me to cry my brains out. After several hours, I stopped. There were no more tears left. In the other room, Aimi was snoring like a pig.

I took out the letter one last time, and I read it word by word. I could only focus on one single word. This word confused me with Sasori's current emotion to the one he had written down in his letter. This word led me to believe Sasori was forced into "liking" Aimi. This word was the reason why I kept the letter for many years. Slowly, I skimmed through the letter, and there it was.

_**Love**_

* * *

Cyndi: Sad chapter. I cried. 

Kato: You're only writing this because of Ja-

Cyndi: Don't give it away!

Kato: Jay Jay Jay

Cyndi: No! Anyways, while I come up with Kato's death plot, please review. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.

Kato: Meanie!

Cyndi: I know. Cyndi, over and out.


	13. Realization

Chapter Thirteen: Sorrow

Cyndi: I'm very **sorry** for the wait. High school registration kills.

Sasori: Who's going to say the disclaimer?

Aimi: I will!

Sasori: Ok, you can go.

Kaori: Look Aimi, if Cyndi didn't want you to say the disclaimer in the last twelve chapters, she wouldn't want to now..

Aimi: Cyndi does not own Naruto.

Kaori: Typical Aimi. Brainwashed Sasori.

Sasori: I'm...not...brainwashed...

Cyndi: Shall we start the story? Note the time skip. Kaori is now eighteen.

* * *

The wind was whistling, the sand was swirling in countless patterns. A silent figure sat on the floor, at the top of one building. Kaori looked down at the Sand Village from a rooftop and sighed. She held a letter in one hand, and her necklace in another.

_"It's been five years..." _Five years of loneliness, five years of solitude. It had been a while since she had talked to _him_. The ever-so-ready Saso-kun. Yes, she thought of him as Saso-kun... It was a nickname that she had made up for him. Thirteen years ago, when she first met him, when she moved into the Akasuna family. He did change... He was no longer the lonely boy she had seen, but he wasn't the Sasori she knew five years ago. The fun Sasori, the funny Sasori, the great-comeback Sasori. No, that Sasori is gone. It was gone, for a long time. _"Sasori is engaged. Aimi is going to be a bride. Who knew?" _

Tears streamed down her face. She didn't know of this until this morning during breakfast. Although she and Sasori still lived in the same house, it was awkward speaking to him, even as they walked down the hallway. He didn't speak to anyone, not even Granny Chiyo. She looked into a mirror. Some of her appearances have changed. Her hair was now unstyled and let loose so that the wind could blow it away. Her eyes were still a shade of gray... Just boring gray. 

"Kaori?" She turned around. No one was supposed to know that she was here, except herself. 

It was _him_. What was he doing here? Why did he come? 

"Saso-kun?" she whispered, wiping the tears from her face. She simply did not want to be seen on a rooftop crying, especially by Sasori the boy wonder. 

Sasori frowned. "Kaori, don't call me that. It's childish and... Unnerving. Wipe your tears, they make you less appealing." He sat down beside her and handed her a tissue. He looked at her and the necklace and frowned again. He seemed to be thinking about something.

Kaori stared at him. A tall body replaced the little thirteen year old one he used to have. Something was gained, but something was lost. His smile was lost. Not that he didn't smile when he was with Aimi, but it wasn't a true smile. She knew his true smile, just like how she knew to elbow him in the stomach right... Now. "What!"

Sasori grimaced. "What was that for?"

"Unappealing!" Kaori shouted. "And you call that soon-to-be married Aimi-pig appealing? Come on, this is a joke right? My life is a joke, right?"

"I don't know..." Sasori said quietly as he watched Kaori go on a temporary rage. "I feel like there's something wrong with me... I just can't figure it out. That necklace..." He pointed to the fire-red heart. "It's familiar."

Then it hit her. _"The letter. The necklace. I have to tell him."_

"You don't know?" asked Kaori looking at Sasori in a questioning way.

"Know what?" retorted Sasori, confused.

"Take a look at this." She handed him the letter. "You should know, it's your handwriting." She laughed. For such a great artist, he had the world's most horrible handwriting. Each sentence would be like a puzzle that Kaori alone would be able to solve.

He read the letter. As he read the last sentence, his eyes opened wide. Without a question, for the first time in his life, Sasori didn't know what he was doing. "What is this?"

"Your handwriting, and take a look at this..." Kaori took off her necklace and gave in to him. He stared at it for quite some time. Finally, he mumbled something under his breath. Kaori blinked. "What did you say?" Kaori guessed that love wasn't the only thing Aimi removed from Sasori. She may have removed his attention span too.

"I remember." 

"What?"

"I remember everything."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this." He grabbed her awkwardly and kissed her. Kaori stumbled, confused. After five years of excommunication, he finally decides to kiss her? 

Kaori's POV

"_Oh my God...He kissed me! I would be freaking out right now but I really shouldn't..."_

_"__**It's your right to freak out. He remembers! And he kissed you! Your first kiss, how exciting! "**_

_"I can't believe this! He was brainwashed all along? And your totally right, my first kiss! "_

_**"It seems like it. Maybe Aimi was up to something. Sasori would never fall for a girl like Aimi. Or you. I wonder why he..."**_

_"God, you're my consciousness.. Pay attention, he's looking at us!"_

* * *

I pushed Sasori away. "You do that on the day before you get hitched? Not very faithful, are we?" Sasori looked a thousand times better now. He was pacing back and forth, looking like he had amnesia before and that a miracle cure had been bestowed upon him.

"I can explain. You see..." He explained about that night when I fell asleep, and he made sure to note that I snored loudly in sleep. I rolled my eyes, just glad to have to old Sasori back. He had finally concluded that Aimi came out of nowhere and had taken me hostage. The he added with rage that Aimi's father, though he was Kazekage, had no right to hold anyone hostage. Aimi's father was going to kill me if Sasori didn't agree to be brainwashed into "liking" Aimi. As he babbled on and on, I just kept smiling and nodding.

He continued. "... And you asleep the whole time." 

"I was asleep the whole time?" I said, in disbelief.

"Yeah..." Sasori smirked evilly "... By the way, you still snore."

I rolled my eyes again. "You said that already." I stood up. "Are you still getting married.

"Let me guess..." said Sasori sarcastically. "Run away from this place like a fugitive and be hunted down, or get married to Aimi...Hmm, this one's hard."

"So?" 

"Kaori, have you lost your mind? Of course I wouldn't marry Aimi in a million years!" 

"I knew that..." I said, trying to sound confident. "So, any plans for the upcoming year?"

"Not really, but let's just say I won't be staying for long in this village."

"Why? It's not like you're going to kill someone!" I laughed.

"Or am I?" He had a serious look in his eyes that told me that he wasn't joking. 

"Sasori, fine. If you're going to kill someone, kill Aimi." 

"Not a bad idea. You'll see. Anyways, I have to go home and see to it that Hiruko is still usable."

"That turtle-puppet? I think it has cobwebs in it by now."

"So does Aimi's head."

He walked down the stairway, leaving me extremely confused. I just hoped that he wouldn't do anything out of hand.

* * *

Cyndi: Yes! I'm actually advancing the story!

Deidara: Yeah!

Cyndi: And I'm going to keep at it!

Deidara: Yeah!

Cyndi: Is there anything else you say than yeah?

Deidara: Yeah!

Tobi: Yeah!

Deidara: Tobi you baka!


	14. The Darkest Night

Chapter Fourteen: The Nightmare Comes Back

Cyndi: Hi everyone! This time we have Tayuya here to say the disclaimer!

Tayuya: Stinking rat!

Cyndi: Seriously, say it. And thanks to everyone who was patient during the long wait.

Tayuya: You dipshit.

Cyndi: Whatever, I'll say it. **I do not own Naruto. **Enjoy the story!

Tayuya: ... -leaves-

* * *

Kaori sat down on a sofa. It had been a long time since that fateful day on the rooftops. However, something wasn't right about Sasori. It was like he had changed, and not in a good way. She wondered about what he said about killing someone.

_"I just hope he doesn't really kill someone." _thought Kaori._ "Ok, maybe he hates Aimi, but he shouldn't kill her for that. I wouldn't..." _Kaori stared at the ceiling, unaware that Granny Chiyo had sat down beside her.

"Kaori-chan."

"Huh?" Kaori jerked back, surprised. "Granny Chiyo? When did you get here?" The look on Granny Chiyo's face did not make her feel happy. In fact, she began to feel like something was amiss. "What's wrong?"

"Have you seen Sasori-sama around?"

"I don't know, does it look like I know?"

"You always have a knack for knowing who's where."

"Wait a second. You're just asking me because you think that I'll start to worry. And after I start to worry, I'll go looking for him, right? And when I go looking for him, he'll be cleaning up some sort of trouble, and ask me to help, right?"

"Precisely."

"Ok, you win this time, Chiyo-baa"

Kaori opened the door, only to be hit in the face with ten pounds of swirling sand. "I see why you couldn't go look for him by yourself." She closed the door behind her, momentarily angry at Granny Chiyo. She enivisioned Chiyo walking through the door instead, and being hit by ten pounds of sand. _"I saved her life, she should be grateful for that."_

She walked though the streets of Suna, making sure to wear her hood (which she hated due to the fact that she seemed unrecognizable under it). She stopped to see a shadowy figure holding some sort of... corpse? The figure began to come towards her.

"Kaori-chan? Is that you?"

"How would you know?"

The figure removed his hood, revealing a fiery mass of red hair. Gray eyes looked at her, and she immediately knew who it was.

"Well... Who did you kill this time?!" She said sarcastically, unaware that her panic could easily be seen.

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about." Sasori tried unsucessfully to hide the bundled cloth. Instead, he accidentally dropped it and the body flew towards Kaori. Kaori quickly dodged it as it hit a nearby wall.

"I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DEAD BODY THAT JUST HIT THE WALL!!" Kaori was extremely disturbed now, she didn't want to know how he killed the person, but why. She tried to control her voice. "NOW... I mean, now... Why did you..."

"The person deserved to die." Sasori coldly stated, void of pity. "You know who he is."

Kaori looked down. She jumped back, in terror. "No... You killed the most important person of the Sand Village!" The Kazekage laid on the ground with his eyes open in terror. Kaori must admit, it took guts to kill a ruthless Kazekage who knows how to attack with iron sand. She sat down, in disbelief.

"Important? I saw him as the most pathetic Kazekage. He needed to be wiped out." Sasori pulled off a piece of cloth from a nearby bulky object, revealing his puppet Hiruko. "Oh, and by the way, the FORMER most important person in the Sand Village, you mean."

"So... What are you going to do with that? Just pretend nothing happened?" Kaori stood up. "You just earned yourself the title of S-ranked criminal, and you pretend that you just killed a tiny fly?"

"Look, it's just that I don't see any future here."

"Well, are you just going to run off?" Kaori could feel tears welling up, but she had enough sense to hold it back. "Look, you were brainwashed, are you sure you're not anymore?"

"I'm not." Sasori jumped into Hiruko, closing the entrance behind him.

"So... That's it, you're leaving." A voice suddenly came out of nowhere. Kaori was unaware that they had been watched all along.

"Huh?" Kaori turned around, immediately face to face with her sensei. "Mizuki-sensei!"

"Let him go, Kaori. You are no longer allowed to be in contact with him." Mizuki-sensei sighed. "I knew one day it would come to this. Sasori, you are an S-ranked criminal, I suggest you run. Now." She found an old bench and sat down.

"Aren't you going to turn me in?" asked Sasori warily. "How about trying to kill me?"

"That is not of my concern." replied Mizuki-sensei. "That is up to the ANBU force. You are too young to die, you're only 18. Plus, they'll kill you, and that saves me the trouble, since I still see you as my student."

"Sasor-" Kaori tried to cut in, but Mizuki quickly stopped her.

"Kaori, I do not want you to get into this. You are a bright student, and I need you to stay here to protect our village. Stay back."

"Then, this is goodbye." Sasori walked to the gates and left without a word. When Sasori at last disappeared into the flurry of sand, Mikzuki-sensei took Kaori back to her house. Kaori reluctantly followed.

"Kaori, you'll see him again one day." Mizuki reassured her as the reached Kaori's house. She guided Kaori to her bedroom, Granny Chiyo followed, her face grave.

Kaori wiped her eyes. "If you weren't my teacher... I-I..."

"Relax, get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Mizuki-sensei closed the door behind her, and Kaori saw nothing but darkness envelop the bedroom.

* * *

Cyndi: -runs- Just be glad I updated! Don't kill me! -runs to corner of the room-


	15. A Proposition

Cyndi: Wow, it's been a while.

Deidara: *mutters* Apparently my attempt at killing you were unsuccessful, un.

Cyndi: So it was you!

Deidara: Um, oops. That was supposed to be a thought! Cyndi does not own Naruto, only her OCs. Haha...

Cyndi: I going to consider killing you off in Akatsuki Goes Spongebob.

Deidara: Please do, Sasori is so perverted that I can't even stand it, un. The faster you kill me the better.

Sasori: I'm going to kill you Deidara.

* * *

_"I'm so weak."_

Kaori could scarcely remember the events from last night. Sasori killed the Kazekage-

"Sasori killed the Kazekage!!!" yelled Kaori, eyes suddenly opening. She didn't notice the figure behind her. It was Aimi.

Aimi spoke. "Kaori, my father is... He's dead, isn't he?" There were tears welling in her blue eyes.

"I-I just had a bad nightmare, that's all." responded Kaori. She couldn't tell people that Sasori had killed the Kazekage, that would get Sasori into some serious trouble. "Where's Sasori? And why are you creeping in my room?"

"Well, I hadn't seen him since he didn't show up for our wedding." grimaced Aimi. "Where is my father?" She went on. "I decided to pay you a visit to tell you something important."

"Well, I don't know where your son-of-a-bitch father is." spat Kaori. "Tell me what you have to say and leave."

Aimi seemed hesitant to continue. "I-I came here to tell you that I brainwashed Sasori into choosing me over you. I-I-I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

Kaori glared at Aimi. "You thought that I hadn't figured out?" She went over to Aimi and slapped her across the face. "You're the reason why he's gone!"

Aimi started crying. "I'm sorry Kaori! I honestly am!" She sniffed and looked into Kaori's eyes. "I will make it up to you, I swear. I ruined everything, didn't I...?"

Kaori touched her necklace and thought of Sasori. "You did, Aimi. You ruined everything, but it's up to me to fix things. I swear I'll find Sasori." Upon finishing those words, Kaori left the room. Aimi hesitated to follow Kaori, but decided that she would help Kaori to make up for everything she did.

Kaori went down the stairs and saw Chiyo there. "Chiyo-baa, what are you doing?"

Chiyo looked up and saw Kaori. Mizuki-sensei had explained to her that Kaori had nearly fainted yesterday because Sasori left the village. Chiyo had tried to look for Sasori last night, but the village had forbidden her to look for Sasori because he was a missing-nin now. A missing-nin that they believed had something to do with the death of the Third Kazekage.

"Kaori-chan, are you well?" asked Chiyo, voice soft. "Did you rest last night?"

"Chiyo-baa, I'm going after Sasori."

"No. You must stay, you are too weak to go after him." stated Chiyo. "You will not chase after him or you'll become a missing-nin also."

Kaori looked down, saddened by these words. It was true, she was no match for Sasori. "But, I need to find him...!" She looked up with fiery eyes. "I-I'm going Chiyo-baa, and you can't stop me!"

Kaori looked at the corner of the room, and hesitated to grab the puppet before she decided not to bring it. She then darted out of the house.

Chiyo sighed. "Foolish Kaori-chan." She then saw Aimi follow Kaori out of the building, calling for Kaori to slow down. Chiyo looked to the corner of the room, where a puppet lay silently. It was the first puppet that Kaori had built, Sasori-kun.

* * *

"Aimi, what the hell are you doing?" asked Kaori. "Go back!" Kaori was running through the desert, hoping to catch a glimpse of Sasori somewhere.

"I'm helping you, Kaori." retorted Aimi. "I need to make up for the things I've done."

Kaori sighed, it was no use to argue with Aimi. "Fine, but just get out of my way. You're too annoying for anyone's benefit." Aimi remained silent, unable to meet Kaori's eye contact.

They traveled halfway across the desert, with no knowledge of Sasori's whereabouts. At last, they saw a small cavern about eighteen miles away from the Sunagakure. Kaori searched inside the cavern. Deep inside, she saw a red-haired man next to Hiruko.

"Sasori?" asked Kaori. She ran to him and hugged him. "I can't believe I found you!"

"Kaori, what are you doing here?" scowled Sasori. "I told you not to follow me!" He pulled away from her, furious. He looked at the person behind Kaori and stepped back, pulling out a kunai. He ran up to Aimi and held the kunai to her throat.

"S-Saso-kun?" stuttered Aimi. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused. I'm being sincere." Her eyes were honest, but Sasori had eliminated the possibility of a sincere Aimi existing a few years ago.

"For your actions, you'll join your father in hell." said Sasori, his voice laced with venom. He knocked Aimi out cold, saving her to kill later and turn into a puppet. "Your mind-wiping techniques might be useful in battle though. The sad fact is that I don't even want to touch you, you filthy slug."

"Sasori, what are you talking about? You have to come back to Sunagakure." said Kaori threatingly, ignoring the fact that Sasori was about to kill Aimi. "If you refuse, I'll have to force you to come back." She pinned Sasori to the wall, causing him to free Aimi and drop the kunai.

"What you say will not change what I've done last night." Sasori whispered those words into Kaori's ear. "I killed the Kazekage."

Kaori pondered for a moment. "I'll join you."

"No. I'm not going to drag you into this." answered Sasori. "Do you think being a missing-nin will be all fun and games?"

"As long as I'm with you." mumbled Kaori. "I don't see myself anywhere in the future without you-"

"No. Now get out and take Aimi before I kill her." said Sasori coldly. His eyes told a different story. Kaori had noticed a while back that Sasori did not like to show emotion, but his eyes were the most vulnerable to emotion. "We're done. I want nothing more to do with you."

Those words hit Kaori like ice. "I-I see." Kaori touched the ruby heart on her necklace and tore it off. "Take this back." She threw it at Sasori, tears welling in her eyes. Kaori then retrieved Aimi's unconscious body, she knew that Aimi was going to end up getting in the way.

Sasori picked up the necklace, then he stared at Kaori's face for the last time. He put his right hand on top of his eyes, shielding his eyes from Kaori's view.

"G-Goodbye, Sasori." She looked at Sasori to see his face one last time, but his face was shielded from her eyesight. The tears never came.

_"I'm so weak. I can never protect anyone close to me." _

Kaori sprinted out of the cave. Her legs were burning with exhaustion by the time she reached Sunagakure. She fell onto the hot sand, and the last thing she saw before she passed out was Mizuki-sensei's rabbit sniffing her face. "Ge-Off-Me..."

* * *

"Wake up, Kaori-chan!" shrieked Aimi. "Hello?!"

"Shut up Aimi, and don't call me Kaori-chan." Kaori sat up on her bed. "We couldn't get him to come back-"

Aimi's mouth twisted upward. "I know, but you saved me!"

"Which makes the mission a double failure," sighed Kaori, "I need to train. Just get out." Her voice was empty.

Aimi made a squeak and left the room.

Kaori's heart was black. She didn't want to open it to anyone ever again. She raised her hand to touch the necklace, realizing that she had torn it off and threw it at Sasori a few hours ago. Her face darkened. She decided to make a promise to herself.

_"From this day on," _thought Kaori,_ "I am going to train myself to death. I don't care if I lose my limbs or die trying to bring Sasori back, but I will either bring him back or kill him."_

She walked over her drawer and pulled out a letter dated back several years ago. She looked down at the last sentence on the page and smiled bitterly.

""I will have changed, for the better. _Love_, Sasori."

* * *

Cyndi: Finally I finished this. There will be a sequel for Shippuden, and maybe a few years before Shippuden.

Tobi: Cyndi may be slow, but she is a good girl for finishing the story. Tobi gives you a cookie.

Cyndi: Thanks.


End file.
